Memo, destination tag, comment: when a crypto payment needs one
Written and reviewed by the KryptoMate team. Published 11 Oct 2026.
A memo is a short extra reference sent together with a crypto transfer, so that a receiver who uses one address for many customers can tell which payment is whose. XRP calls it a destination tag, Stellar and Terra call it a memo, and TON calls it a comment. At KryptoMate's checkout, four coins are marked as needing one today: XRP, Stellar (XLM), Terra (LUNA) and Terra Classic (LUNC). For every other coin, the address alone is enough unless the payment screen shows a Memo / Tag block.
What a memo is, and why some coins have one
On most blockchains, a payment service can give each payer a fresh address, and the address identifies the payment. Some networks make that impractical. The XRP Ledger's documentation explains that a separate address for each customer would waste network resources and need a reserve for every address, so one address serves many customers and a tag says which customer a payment is for.
The reference is not a password and not part of the address. It's a second field in the transfer. Leave it out, and the coins still arrive at the address, but nobody on the receiving side can see automatically who sent them.
| Network | What it's called | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| XRP Ledger | Destination tag | A whole number |
| Stellar | Memo | Text, a number or a hash |
| Terra, Terra Classic | Memo | As shown on the payment screen |
| TON | Comment | Text |
On the XRP Ledger a destination tag is a 32-bit unsigned integer, so it is always digits. Stellar defines several memo types: a short text, a 64-bit number, or a hash.
Which coins need a memo at our checkout
In the On-Chain coin list, a coin that needs a memo carries a Memo tag next to its name. On 11 October 2026 the list marks these:
- XRP on the XRP Ledger (destination tag)
- XLM on Stellar (memo)
- LUNA on Terra (memo)
- LUNC on Terra Classic (memo)
No USDT or USDC option is marked, and neither are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron or BNB Smart Chain coins. TON and USDT on TON aren't marked today either; TON has its own notes in TON payments: memo and comment. The list can change, so the screen for your order is what counts.
All coins and networks in our checkout, with the memo coins marked:
| Coin | Networks at checkout |
|---|---|
| USDT | Tron (TRC-20), BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20), Solana, TON, Polygon, Arbitrum One, Avalanche C-Chain, Celo |
| USDC | BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20), Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum One, Ethereum (ERC-20), Base, Optimism, Avalanche C-Chain, Algorand |
From the KryptoMate checkout's On-Chain list on 11 Oct 2026. The networks offered for your order are the ones listed at checkout.
How to pay with a memo coin, step by step
- 1At checkout, under On-Chain, choose On-Chain · 200+ coins and select Pay.
- 2Under Choose a coin and network, pick your coin, for example XRP. Check for the Memo tag in the list so you know what to expect.
- 3Select Continue to payment. Besides Network, Address and Send exactly, the screen shows a Memo / Tag block marked Required.
- 4In your wallet or exchange, start a transfer of the same coin on the same network and paste the address with Copy.
- 5Find the extra field. Depending on the coin and the app it's called destination tag, tag, memo or comment. Paste the value with the memo's own Copy button; don't type it.
- 6Enter at least the exact amount, check all three items (address, memo, amount) against the payment screen, and send one transfer.
- 7Send before the 30-minute countdown ends and select I've sent the payment. The screen changes to Payment detected · confirming.
How exchanges label the field
Exchange withdrawal forms use different words for the same thing. For XRP you'll usually see "destination tag" or "tag"; for Stellar and Terra, "memo"; for TON, "memo" or "comment". Whatever the label, it is the field that sits next to the address. When our payment screen shows a memo, that field must not stay empty.
The opposite case: your own deposit address
The same idea applies when you move coins to an exchange before paying. If the exchange shows a tag or memo with its deposit address, that reference belongs to your exchange account. It is a different value from the one on our payment screen, and the two must not be mixed up.
What happens without the memo
If a required memo is missing or wrong, the transfer still reaches the address, but it can't be matched to your order automatically. The order stays unpaid and nothing is delivered. The same is true if you paste the memo into the address field or the other way round and the transfer goes somewhere else.
What to do:
- Don't send the payment a second time.
- Find the transaction hash (TXID) in your wallet or the exchange's withdrawal history.
- Contact support through the support widget or at [email protected] with your order number, the order email, the coin, the amount and the TXID.
Every case is reviewed, but we can't promise the funds can be recovered. This and the other payment mistakes (short amount, late payment, wrong network) are covered in what happens if you send the wrong crypto amount.
Sent it on the wrong network?
A memo doesn't fix a wrong network. A coin sent on a different network than the payment screen shows doesn't arrive as payment for the order, with or without the reference. The steps are the same: stop, collect the TXID, contact support. If you'd rather avoid memos altogether, pay with a coin that isn't marked, such as USDT on a listed network; see USDT networks compared.
Frequently asked questions
What is a memo in crypto?
It's an extra reference sent with a transfer, next to the address. A receiver who uses one address for many customers reads it to know which customer or order a payment belongs to. Without it, the payment arrives but can't be identified automatically.
What is an XRP destination tag?
It's the XRP Ledger's version of a memo: a whole number added to a payment to show who it's for. On our payment screen it appears in the Memo / Tag block when you pay with XRP.
Which coins need a memo on KryptoMate?
On 11 October 2026 the coin list marks XRP, Stellar (XLM), Terra (LUNA) and Terra Classic (LUNC). The payment screen for your order always shows whether a memo is required.
Do I need a memo to pay with USDT or Bitcoin?
No. No USDT or USDC option and no Bitcoin payment is marked Memo in our list. You send the exact amount to the address shown, on the network shown.
I forgot the memo. Is my money lost?
Not necessarily, but nothing is certain. The transfer can't be matched automatically, so contact support with your order number and TXID. Each case is reviewed; recovery isn't promised.
Is the memo the same as the transaction hash (TXID)?
No. You add the memo before you send. The TXID is created by the network after you send and identifies that one transfer. Support asks for the TXID when something went wrong.
Ready? Read how On-Chain payments work, then check the payment screen for a Memo / Tag block before you send.
Last checked: 11 Oct 2026. Prices, products and payment options change; the checkout shows what applies to your order.