Crypto

Use these string values in tenderTypes at the merchant, location, terminal, or payment-request level. Values are case sensitive. Copy them exactly as shown.

Crypto payments in Bead Sandbox use live blockchain networks. Test payments require real assets and real network fee tokens. Keep test amounts small.

For USDC on Base and USDC on Solana, the minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD. This minimum is separate from live-network fees such as ETH on Base or SOL on Solana.

Current crypto tenders

Tender string	Asset	Network	Direction	Availability	Minimum payment guidance	Sandbox and Production network notes
usdcBase	USDC	Base mainnet	Receive and auto liquidate to fiat	Available now	Minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD	Uses live Base mainnet in Sandbox and Production. Testing requires real USDC on Base. Payer wallets also need ETH on Base for network fees.
usdcSolana	USDC	Solana mainnet	Receive and auto liquidate to fiat	Available now	Minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD	Uses live Solana mainnet in Sandbox and Production. Testing requires real USDC on Solana. Payer wallets also need SOL for network fees.
bitcoin	BTC	Bitcoin mainnet	Receive and auto liquidate to fiat	Available when enabled for your program	Use small live-network BTC test amounts and confirm any program-specific limits with Bead	Uses the live Bitcoin network in Sandbox and Production. Testing requires real BTC.
bitcoin_Lightning	BTC over Lightning	Lightning Network	Receive and auto liquidate to fiat	Available when enabled for your program	Use small live-network Lightning test amounts and confirm any program-specific limits with Bead	Uses the live Lightning network in Sandbox and Production. Testing requires a Lightning-capable wallet funded with real BTC. String uses an underscore by design.

Planned or program-specific additions

Tender string	Asset	Network	Direction	Notes
ethereum	ETH	Ethereum	Receive and auto liquidate to fiat	Do not assume this tender is enabled unless Bead confirms it for your program. Production rollout follows certification and program configuration.

Where to set tender types

Level	Field	Behavior
Merchant	tenderTypes on the merchant object	Acts as the default for locations created under the merchant
Location	tenderTypes on the location object	Overrides the merchant defaults for that location when provided
Terminal	tenderTypes on the terminal object	Overrides the location settings for that terminal when provided
Payment request	tenderTypes on the Create Payment request	Narrows the hosted payment experience for a single payment without changing the merchant, location, or terminal defaults

If a merchant, location, or terminal level omits tenderTypes, it inherits from its parent. Passing an empty array clears any override at that level and reverts to the parent defaults.

For a payment request, omit tenderTypes to let the hosted payment page present the tenders enabled for the terminal. Send tenderTypes when you want a specific payment experience, such as a dedicated USDC on Base checkout button.

Example payloads

Create a location that inherits merchant defaults:

{
  "name": "Downtown Flagship",
  "address": {
    "address1": "123 Main St",
    "city": "Springfield",
    "region": "MA",
    "country": "US",
    "postalCode": "01109"
  }
}

Create a location that explicitly sets crypto tenders:

{
  "name": "Airport Kiosk",
  "address": {
    "address1": "987 Terminal Rd",
    "city": "Springfield",
    "region": "MA",
    "country": "US",
    "postalCode": "01109"
  },
  "tenderTypes": ["usdcBase", "usdcSolana"]
}

Create a terminal that narrows tenders under the same location:

{
  "locationId": "loc_bfdc6a7f",
  "tenderTypes": ["usdcBase"]
}

Create a payment that limits the hosted payment experience to USDC on Base:

{
  "terminalId": "{terminalId}",
  "merchantId": "{merchantId}",
  "requestedAmount": 1.00,
  "tenderTypes": ["usdcBase"]
}

Create a payment that offers both USDC Base and USDC Solana:

{
  "terminalId": "{terminalId}",
  "merchantId": "{merchantId}",
  "requestedAmount": 1.00,
  "tenderTypes": ["usdcBase", "usdcSolana"]
}

Minimum payment amounts and fees

Minimum payment amounts can vary by tender.

For USDC on Base and USDC on Solana, the minimum Bead payment amount is $1.00 USD. If a payment request includes only one of these tenders, or if the hosted payment page is expected to offer either of these tenders, use requestedAmount of 1.00 or higher.

This minimum is separate from wallet and network fees.

Tender	Bead minimum	Fee token needed by payer wallet
usdcBase	$1.00 USD	ETH on Base
usdcSolana	$1.00 USD	SOL on Solana
bitcoin	Confirm program-specific limits	BTC
bitcoin_Lightning	Confirm program-specific limits	BTC through the Lightning wallet and routing path

Wallet apps, exchanges, and on-ramp providers may have their own minimum purchase amounts or fees. Those limits are separate from the Bead payment minimum.

Validation and behavior

Topic	Guidance
Case sensitivity	Values are case sensitive. Use exactly the strings shown in the tables.
Combination rules	You can set one or many values in the array. The platform validates that each string is recognized.
Payment-request behavior	tenderTypes on a Create Payment request limits the available tenders for that payment only. It does not change the merchant, location, or terminal configuration.
Settlement behavior	Crypto receipts auto liquidate to the sponsor bank FBO account in fiat according to your program rules.
Sandbox behavior	Sandbox crypto payments use live blockchain networks. Test payments require real assets and real network fee tokens. Live-network fees can vary by network congestion and wallet behavior.
USDC minimums	usdcBase and usdcSolana require a minimum Bead payment amount of $1.00 USD.
Backward compatibility	New tender strings can be added without a version change. Unknown strings are rejected with a validation error.

Deprecations and naming hygiene

Old value	Status	Replacement
usdC_Ethereum	Do not use	Use ethereum only when ETH becomes available for your program, or use usdcBase for USDC on Base
usdC_Polygon	Do not use	No current replacement in Production. Follow the current tender tables for supported USDC networks

If your codebase contains legacy strings, migrate them to the current values shown above.

Do not convert tender strings to snake case, lowercase, or display labels in API requests. For example, use usdcBase, not usdc_base; use bitcoin_Lightning, not bitcoin_lightning.

Related topics

Topic	Where
Create Payment	Payments section
Test Crypto Transactions	Payments section
Crypto payments, environment and testing	FAQs & Troubleshooting
Compatible Crypto Wallets	Reference Guide, Operational Guides
Environments and Base URLs	Reference Guide
Location Management	Entity Management section
Payment Webhooks and Event Reference	Reference Guide
Download OpenAPI and Postman	Reference Guide