Point-of-Sale Crypto Payments: How In-Person Crypto Checkout Works

Point-of-sale crypto payments let a customer pay with crypto in person by scanning a QR code at checkout. The merchant generates a payment link for the amount, the customer scans it with their wallet app and confirms, and the payment settles on-chain in seconds directly to the merchant's wallet. With a non-custodial tool like MakaPay, there is no card terminal, no custodial processor, and the fee is about 1 percent.

This guide explains how in-person crypto checkout works, what you need, and how it compares with a card terminal.

What point-of-sale crypto means

Point of sale is simply where the transaction happens in person: a shop counter, a market stall, a restaurant table, a service call. Accepting crypto there means the customer pays from the wallet on their phone instead of tapping a card. The mechanism is a payment request the customer scans, usually shown as a QR code.

Unlike a card payment, which routes through card networks and a custodial processor, an in-person crypto payment is a direct on-chain transfer from the customer's wallet to yours. Nothing sits in the middle holding the money.

How in-person crypto checkout works, step by step

1. Create the charge. At checkout, you generate a MakaPay point-of-sale payment link for the amount, choosing the token and network. It displays as a QR code on your phone, tablet, or screen.
2. Customer scans. The customer opens their wallet app and scans the code. The exact amount, token, and destination are already filled in, so there is nothing for them to type.
3. Customer confirms. They approve the payment in their wallet. The transaction broadcasts to the network.
4. Payment settles. The network confirms in seconds to a couple of minutes, and the funds land directly in your wallet. You see the confirmation and hand over the goods.

No card reader, no terminal rental, and no custodial account. The whole flow runs from a link and a QR code.

What you need to accept crypto in person

• A device to show the QR code. A phone or tablet is enough. You do not need dedicated hardware.
• A wallet you control. This is where each payment settles, since MakaPay is non-custodial.
• A MakaPay account. Free to create, no monthly subscription.

That low setup cost is one of the advantages over card acceptance, which often involves terminal hardware, rental or purchase costs, and a merchant account.

Choosing tokens and networks for the counter

For in-person sales, speed and low fees matter most, so favor stablecoins on fast, low-fee networks like Polygon or BNB Smart Chain. Stablecoins keep the price exact, USDT or USDC for a $25 sale is about 25 tokens, and low-fee networks keep confirmation quick and gas negligible. MakaPay's Gas Tank lets you fund gas once and cover payments across the networks you accept, so you are not managing separate gas tokens at the counter.

How it compares with a card terminal

Cost. A card terminal involves hardware and processing fees around 2.9 percent. In-person crypto needs no hardware and runs about 1 percent.

Settlement. Card sales are paid out to your bank on a delay. Crypto settles to your wallet in seconds to minutes, so end-of-day cash flow is immediate.

Chargebacks. Card payments can be disputed later. On-chain payments are final, so an in-person crypto sale cannot be reversed by a chargeback.

Speed at the counter. A confirmed crypto payment is comparable to a card tap in practice, a scan and a confirmation, without the network hops behind the scenes.

The tradeoff is that the customer needs crypto in a wallet, so in-person crypto is a complement to card acceptance for now, not a replacement in most shops. Offer both and let customers choose.

Practical tips for the counter

Show the amount clearly. The QR code carries the exact amount and network, so there is little room for error, but confirm the customer paid on a network you accept before completing the sale.

Wait for confirmation. Hand over goods once the payment confirms, not when the customer says they sent it. Confirmation is fast, usually seconds on low-fee networks.

Keep the receipt. Every payment has an on-chain transaction hash. It is your permanent, verifiable record of the sale.

Secure your wallet. In-person volume flows into the same wallet, so treat its keys like the cash in your register: backed up and access-controlled.

Take crypto at the counter

In-person crypto checkout is lighter than card acceptance: no terminal, no merchant account, about 1 percent, and instant settlement to a wallet you control. Generate a point-of-sale payment link, show the QR code, and let the customer scan and confirm. For shops, stalls, restaurants, and service providers who want a fast, low-cost, chargeback-free way to take crypto in person, a non-custodial POS link is all it takes.