Practical payout guide
How to pay contractors in crypto
Updated
Use an approved contractor invoice as the starting point. This guide follows an individual USD invoice through wallet selection, exchange review, email confirmation and reconciliation in Corcava.
Before you start
- Agree the invoice currency, stablecoin, exact network and who pays fees with the contractor.
- Use a supported exchange account with sufficient funds in the selected wallet.
- Have a superadmin configure the connection and release the payout.
- Ask the contractor to save and confirm their own payout method.
Current payout pairs are USDT on TRON or Ethereum, and USDC on Ethereum. Availability depends on the account, region and withdrawal requirements shown by the exchange.
1. Connect the company’s exchange account.
Open Settings → Integrations → Payments and configure Binance, Bybit or OKX. For Binance, choose Spot or Funding. Bybit and OKX use the main account’s Funding wallet. Choose the supported account region where the connection requests it.
Check the permissions, enabled networks and balance returned by the connection. Connecting or refreshing the account only reads account information; it does not pay an invoice.
2. Ask the contractor to confirm their payout method.
The contractor opens Work → My payout methods, chooses the asset and network, and enters the destination address and a useful label. A new code sent to their account email confirms the saved method.
Check the network with the recipient. An address with a valid format does not establish wallet ownership or prove that a different network is compatible. Use the exact asset and network selected for this payment.
3. Select the destination and approve the invoice.
Use a USD team invoice with a positive outstanding balance. The contractor selects a current payout method on the invoice and sends it for review. Approve the invoice after checking the work, amount and destination.
The invoice stores its own destination snapshot. If the contractor changes that selection, approval is cleared so the payer can review it again. A saved-wallet edit does not silently rewrite an existing invoice destination.
4. Read the payout preview.
Open the invoice payment dialog and select the available connected exchange. Check the asset, network, destination, selected wallet, recipient amount, fee and total debit.
| Invoice or payout field | Illustrative value |
|---|---|
| Invoice total | USD 2,000 |
| Previously recorded payment | USD 500 |
| Outstanding invoice balance | USD 1,500 |
| Contractor receives at agreed 1:1 settlement | 1,500 USDT |
| Example exchange fee paid by company | 2 USDT |
| Total company debit | 1,502 USDT |
The exchange fee is additional to the invoice balance. This example is not a current fee quote. Use the actual preview; refresh it if the fee or available balance changes.
5. Confirm the release once.
Request the confirmation code and review the details in the email. Enter it only when the invoice, recipient and quote match the intended payment. The preview and code expire after ten minutes.
Confirmation starts the payout. The payment is not complete simply because it was submitted. Follow the recorded status while the exchange processes it.
6. Reconcile the completed payment.
A matching completed withdrawal records the payment against the contractor invoice. Check the updated balance, provider reference and blockchain hash when one is supplied. An exchange-internal transfer can complete without an on-chain hash.
Transactions connects the payout attempt and its completed invoice payment. Keep the provider’s record when you need additional exchange-account details.
If the payout is pending or unknown
| Situation | Next action |
|---|---|
| Waiting for confirmation | Check the recorded status and provider reference. Do not send the same invoice again. |
| Unknown result or timeout | Investigate the existing attempt. A timeout can occur after the exchange has accepted a withdrawal. |
| Recheck is available | A user with the relevant Transactions permissions can request a recheck and provide a reason. It reads withdrawal history only. |
| Missing or inconsistent provider record | Keep the payout unresolved while investigating with the exchange. There is no automatic unlock, resend or manual mark-completed action. |
Questions before you start
Can I pay a EUR invoice this way?
The current crypto payout flow supports USD invoices. It does not silently convert a EUR invoice or execute a foreign-exchange trade.
Do I need to pay the original invoice total again?
Pay the outstanding balance shown on the invoice. Previously recorded payments reduce the amount due, as in the worked example.
What if the confirmation code expires?
Prepare a fresh preview and confirmation for an unsubmitted payment. For a payout already submitted, follow its status and reconciliation instead of starting another payment.
Where do client crypto payments fit?
Client invoices use the configured incoming checkout. They are separate from contractor payouts through Binance, Bybit or OKX. Crypto invoicing and client payments
Keep the payment connected to the invoice.
Use the crypto agency kit to connect client invoicing, contractor payouts and the transaction history for your agency.