USDT TRC20 vs BEP20 vs ERC20: which network should your store accept?

The same dollar-pegged USDT runs on several blockchains. For a merchant the token is identical; what changes is how fast a payment confirms, what it costs to move, and which network your customers already hold it on.

The three networks at a glance

Times are averages from the confirmations we wait for before forwarding; the network fee of each forward is quoted live by /estimate/.

Tron (TRC20)

The default for many exchange withdrawals and the most used network for USDT transfers worldwide. Customers rarely need to think about it, which makes it the safest single choice. Moving a token on Tron burns energy, so the network cost of a forward is higher than on BNB Smart Chain: that is why its minimum is 10 USDT.

BNB Smart Chain (BEP20)

Very low fees and sub-second blocks: the best fit for small and frequent payments, like top-ups or tips. Watch the address format: BEP20 and ERC20 addresses look the same (0x…), so always tell customers which network to use.

Ethereum (ERC20)

The deepest liquidity and the highest gas costs. Worth offering to customers who hold USDT in Ethereum wallets or DeFi, especially for larger payments where the fee matters less.

What we recommend

1. Offer TRC20 by default: it is what most customers can send.
2. Add BEP20 if your payments are small or frequent.
3. Add ERC20 for customers who hold their funds on Ethereum.

Each network needs its own address: create one per network with /create/, or a multi-token address to accept every token of that network on one address. Whatever the network, TrezorPay forwards the payment to your wallet minus 1.25% and recovers the gas in USDT, so you never hold TRX, BNB or ETH.

Next step: accept USDT on your website.