Mga trade

Paxful’s escrow feature aims to ensure a fair trade experience for both parties. Paxful is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency marketplace where people can meet and safely trade crypto using over 300 payment methods. When a trade starts, the cryptocurrency from the seller’s wallet is automatically moved into a temporary safe deposit account (escrow) where it will be held until the transaction is complete.

So how does the escrow work?

When a trade starts, the seller’s crypto is automatically transferred into our secure escrow. 

How escrow helps cryptocurrency buyers: If you as a  buyer make the payment but the seller refuses to release your crypto, the secure escrow serves as a guarantee. The seller’s cryptocurrency will stay in escrow until our moderators step in to investigate the situation and award the cryptocurrency to the deserving party.

How escrow helps cryptocurrency sellers: Sometimes a buyer may not be able to finalize the payment for the cryptocurrency. If you’re the seller in this case, then your cryptocurrency is safely returned back to your wallet.

Once the payment is made and confirmed, the seller can release cryptocurrency from escrow to the buyer, and this will mark the completion of the trade. 

Here is more information on how you can start a dispute. Also, check how you can contact our 24/7 dedicated customer support team.

All Paxful trades flow in a similar way. However, you may encounter some specific cases depending on the payment method you choose. If you familiarize yourself with the process, it’ll make trading on Paxful a lot easier.  

Buying cryptocurrency

Find an offer on our Buy Bitcoin list. For more information on how to buy crypto see our guide.

You can also create your own offers directly from your Paxful account. See our short guide on how to create your first offer.

Selling cryptocurrency

Find an offer on our Sell Bitcoin list. For more information on how to sell crypto see our guide.

You can also create your own offers directly from your Paxful account. See our short guide on how to create your first offer.

Trade statuses determine the progress of your trades. 

Each trade on Paxful may have a different status. You can see the exact status of your trades from your dashboard. There are eight statuses your trade could possibly have:

Active funded – a trade has started, and funds have been transferred from the seller’s wallet into trade escrow.

Paid – a buyer has marked the trade as paid. It means that a buyer of cryptocurrency is sure that he has made the payment and has actually clicked the Paid button.

Expired – every trade has a payment window for a buyer to make a payment. When a trade is funded, but a buyer failed to mark a trade as paid, the payment window expires. This status means that a trade has been cancelled.

Cancelled – a buyer or a seller has willingly cancelled a trade.

Dispute open – a buyer or a seller has opened a dispute.

Successful – a seller of cryptocurrency has released funds from the trade escrow to the buyer’s wallet.

Awarded seller – a dispute has taken place, and cryptocurrency was awarded to the seller of cryptocurrency.

Awarded buyer – a dispute has taken place, and cryptocurrency was awarded to the buyer of cryptocurrency.

Bakit mga imahe ng mga watermark ng Paxful?

Baka napansin mo na lahat ng larawan ng naka-upload sa trade chat ay may watermark na may numero ng trade at pangalan ng aming platform. Ito ay isang seguridad na pamamaraan, na pumipigil sa sensitibong impormasyon tulad ng mga larawan ng gift card na magamit sa mga panlilinlang na mga aktibidad tulad ng ireponsableng pagbebentang muli o pagbroker. Nais naming mapigilan ang mga scammer na ibentang muli ang alinman sa mga gift card na pinangangasiwaan nila para makuha ang aming platform.

Kapag hindi naka-watermark ang mga larawan?

May mga dahilan din sa pagkakaroon ng malinaw na litratong walang watermark. Isa sa mga dahilan halimbawa sa mga gift card ay lutasin ang alinmang mga tanong sa kumpanya ng gift card. Kung gayon bakit walang mga larawang may watermark?

1. Ang proseso ng KYC/ID na beripikasyon ay dapat kumpletuhin at matagumpay na makumpirma.
2. Images in the trade chat will then be shown without a watermark 24 hours after the cryptocurrency has been released.

Security deposits borrow the funds for a defined period of time. Security deposits are applied to various payment methods and regions. If a security deposit is required for a trade, it's to ensure the safety of trades and to help create a secure marketplace. On Paxful, security deposits can be as low as 0.005 BTC. 

Uploading security deposit

1. Login to your Paxful Account. On the header bar, click Dashboards.

The Dashboard page appears.

2. Above the My Offers list on the Security deposit dashboard, click Deposit.

A confirmation window appears.

3. Read the message carefully and click Deposit to confirm the transaction.

A notification appears confirming that your BTC were deposited from your wallet to Paxful secure escrow.
The deposited amount is shown on the Security deposit dashboard.

Withdrawing security deposit

1. Login to your Paxful account. On the header bar, click Dashboards.

The Dashboard page appears.

2. Above the My Offers list on the Security deposit dashboard, click Withdraw.

A confirmation window appears.

3. Read the message carefully and click Withdraw to confirm the transaction.

A notification appears confirming that your BTC were transferred from Paxful secure escrow to your wallet.

Flexible security deposit 

How can I know if I have flexible security deposit logic applied to my account?

You will receive a notification that your offer is deauthorized and requires a higher amount of security deposit to become active again. You will see a new deposit amount on your security deposit dashboard. 

I already have a trading history. Once activated, based on which information the new security deposit logic calculates the amount of my deposit?

The analysis of the trade activity starts after the feature is activated. Initially, the standard amount of 0.005 BTC is applied.

I am a user without a trading history. Based on which information the new security deposit logic calculates the amount of my deposit?

Initially, the standard amount of 0.005 BTC is applied.

How does the amount of security deposit change?

According to your trading activity, the amount of the security deposit may become higher 0.005 BTC.

How often does my security deposit amount gets updated?

Your security deposit amount is recalculated after each trade.

Do I have to upload a security deposit for each offer separately?

No. Your security deposit covers all of your offers at once. The security deposit is not per offer but per user.

Unlike the offer terms, you would want the offer instructions to be as detailed as possible. Give clear instructions of what you need from the buyer and explain the steps that lie ahead (such as info on documents such as receipts or photos you may require). Remember that a user sees trade instructions when the trade starts, so here you can put the information that you want to provide after the user accepts the offer terms. Instructions are added in the third step of the offer creation flow.

Ano ang hindi gagawin:

1. Don’t suggest to trade outside escrow. Any suggestions to trade off-site are strictly forbidden and this kind of activity will get you banned from Paxful.
2. Don’t give any personal contact information. 
3. Don’t give links to outside sites or share URLs. You must process the payment on Paxful.

Examples 

Mga iTunes gift card

1. Upload a picture of your physical card with the code clearly visible. For blurry photos, please type the code into the chat also.
2. Kung walang marka ng halaga ang card mo, sabihin sa akin ang denominasyon.
3. Wait for me to check the card and release cryptocurrency. Remember to click the I have paid button.
4. If for any reason you don’t want to continue the trade with me, cancel the trade to let me trade with others instead.

Mga Amazon gift card

1. Upload a picture of your physical card with the code clearly visible. For blurry photos, please type the code into the chat also.
2. Upload a picture of the receipt showing that the card was purchased with cash.
3. Wait for me to check the card and release cryptocurrency and remember to click the I have paid button.
4. If for any reason you don’t want to continue the trade with me, cancel the trade to let me trade with others instead.

Paypal

1. Upload a picture of your full screen showing that the funds are already available in your PayPal balance. 
2. Share your PayPal email.
3. Show a proof that your account is verified
4. Pagkatapos mong magawa ang lahat ng nasa itaas, ipapadala ko ang email account mo para makapagpadala ng pondo.
5. Funds must be sent as “goods and services”. 

Western Union

1. Send the funds via cash to the following NAME_HERE, ADDRESS_HERE, etc…
2. Provide me with the following info in the chat: sender name, sender city/state, sender phone number, and the exact payout amount in USD or local currency.
3. Click the I have paid button and wait for me to pick up the funds and release cryptocurrency.

Read more on our rules for selling cryptocurrency, tips for buying cryptocurrency, and our guide on writing good offer terms.

If you are selling cryptocurrency and the buyer is not responding:

If the buyer is the offer owner they have a 5 minute window to view the trade. If those 5 minutes have passed, you can cancel the trade. 

If the buyer has viewed the trade but hasn’t clicked the I have paid button yet, your cryptocurrency will be released from the trade escrow when the trade expires. 

If the buyer clicks I have paid but you don’t receive any payment, you can ask the buyer to cancel the trade. If the buyer doesn’t cancel the trade, you can click Dispute. From there, our moderators will take a look at the situation. 

If you are buying cryptocurrency and the seller is not responding: 

If you started a trade and the seller seems to be offline or doesn’t reply to you, you can cancel the trade and try your luck with the other seller. 

If a seller was responsive, approved the payment, and then became unresponsive, you need to click I have paid so that the trade doesn’t expire. If the trade expires, the seller gets his cryptocurrency back from the escrow. 

If you forgot to click I have paid button, but payment has been already done, it’ll be much harder to get your coins. In such a case please contact our Support.

See more information about disputes in our dedicated article.

 Like with any investment, there are certain risks involved with trading cryptocurrency on Paxful.

Part of protecting your investment involves familiarizing yourself with all the risks that come with trading crypto. Being aware of these risks puts you in a better position to make a profit off your cryptocurrency. In this article, we’ll cover most of the risks both sellers and buyers may encounter while trading crypto on Paxful.

Risks for buyers on Paxful

If you’re new to our marketplace, some dishonest users may try to take advantage of you. Here are a few ways they can do this:

Sellers asking you to cancel the trade after you’ve paid

This is a common tactic used by scammers where they’ll ask you to cancel the trade after you’ve paid for the cryptocurrency. For example, if you’re trading a gift card and you’ve uploaded all the details of your gift card, then you put yourself at the risk of giving those details for free. Scammers can then use the gift card right away, and if you cancel the trade, the cryptocurrency will be released from escrow back to the scammers as well. Essentially, these users get the gift cards for free, and you lose your cryptocurrency.

If a seller ever asks you to cancel the trade after you’ve paid, don't cancel the trade. Instead, follow these steps:

1. Click I have paid and start a dispute.
2. The moderators will investigate the trade and award the cryptocurrency to the deserving party.
3. Be ready to provide additional proof to the moderators, and extend your full cooperation to the investigation. 

Another tip to protect yourself is to ensure that the seller is online before uploading documents and making payments.

Note: Reselling gift cards is strictly prohibited and is against our Terms of Service. Make sure that you are the original buyer of the gift card.

Trading outside Paxful

Many scammers will try to complete a trade outside of Paxful. They may ask for your contact details and attempt to get in touch outside of our marketplace. If you agree to trade outside of our platform, you lose the protection of our secure escrow.

Once you trade outside of Paxful, there are no guarantees that the seller will send you your cryptocurrency. And, our moderators won't be able to provide assistance since the trade happened outside of our platform. Remember that the escrow system is in place for your protection, whether you’re a buyer or a seller.

Risks for sellers on Paxful

Just like buying cryptocurrency, there are also a few risks that you have to look out for while selling cryptocurrency on Paxful. Familiarizing yourself with these risks will help you protect your funds.

Naibababalik na mga paraan ng pagbabayad

Some payment methods on Paxful are reversible (such as PayPal or credit cards), meaning that the payer can request a refund. A common scam is when a fraudulent trader uses a reversible payment method. After the trade is completed, the scammer will then ask for a chargeback.

If you receive a chargeback, follow these steps:

1. Go to your classic dashboard
2. Click view past trades.
3. Click the trade where you got the chargeback and you will see the trade page.
4. Scroll down and under your instructions, you will see the receipt of the trade.

Mga gift card na nabawi mo na

This is a common method that fraudulent traders use. It occurs when buyers upload details of gift cards that have already been used. Scammers may also say that they already made the payment or that they’re in the process of making the payment.

It’s important that you check the balance on the gift card before releasing any cryptocurrency. You can check the balance by redeeming the gift card and making sure that the balance is reflected in your account.

You will want to do this quickly, as the buyer may try to sell the same card to another seller. At the same time, be wary of scammers who ask you to trade quickly. 

Buyers using a fake ID or a stolen credit card

Credit card companies usually cover their users from fraud. If their customers report that their card was stolen, they will block specific transactions. This is why it’s important to check the users’ ID and ask for a selfie to prove the trader's identity.

Be wary of blurry images, especially if the face and name on the card are not clearly visible. If a user is genuine, they are usually willing to complete all trade instructions. Some traders may refuse to give their ID, but It’s up to you to decide what proof you're willing to accept for each trade. Keep in mind that the more evidence you have, the more leverage you’ll have against the scammer.

Ang user ay “lubhang abala”

Be cautious with users who try to rush a trade. Some users may try to rush you and say they're "very busy". This is typically a red flag, as some scammers will try to push you into releasing your cryptocurrency. If you do send the scammer your funds, the fraudulent trader may send your cryptocurrency to a non-Paxful wallet. After they send their cryptocurrency outside of Paxful, they can get away without making a payment for the cryptocurrency. 

Both buyers and sellers should carefully follow the trade instructions provided and finish the trade when all agreed-upon conditions have been met. For more information on how to secure your cryptocurrency, take a look at our security guide.

Lumikha ang Paxful ng simple at mas mahusay na diskarte sa mga trade. Now you can trade without time-consuming trade chats. Nagiging posible ito dahil ang pinakamahalagang mga tagubilin sa pagtrade at mga kinakailangan ay bahagi na mismo ngayon ng proseso sa pakikipagtrade. The requirements, which affect the trade flow directly, are chosen by the seller of cryptocurrency during the offer creation process. Here is an overview of the feature.

Gumagawa ng alok

Sa pinasimpleng bersyon, dadaanan mo ang gayunding proseso na nasa klasikong bersyon. However, you have additional payment specific requirements to choose from. Chat is avoided as trade instructions and requirements are integrated into the trade flow. Narito ang halimbawa ng gayong proseso sa alok sa Paypal:

1. Start creating an offer to sell your cryptocurrency as usual.

2. Select PayPal as a payment method.

A new section appears below the list of payment methods.

3. Click Lite trade to apply automated trade flow for your offer.

A list of options appears below.

4. Select the ID proofs you want to request from the buyer.

 5. Scroll below and tick the Proof of payment box if you want the buyer to upload proof of payment during the trade process.

6. Type in your email in the Your PayPal email field.

7. Proceed with the offer creation flow as usual.

Trading as a seller of cryptocurrency

Hakbang 1

1. When a trade starts, wait for the buyer to upload the documents. Optionally, click Chat with buyer to switch to classic trade chat.

Once the buyer uploads all proofs, they appear on your screen.

2. Review the proofs and click Accept near to each image.

Hakbang 2

1. Wait for the buyer to make the payment. If necessary, start a chat with a trade partner by clicking Chat with buyer.

2. Once the buyer has confirmed making the payment, click the Proof of payment icon to view the buyer's proof.

3. Tick the box below to confirm receiving the actual payment.

3. Click Release to send cryptocurrency from the escrow to the buyer's wallet.

Trading as a buyer of cryptocurrency

Hakbang 1

1. Once you have started a trade, click Upload to start uploading the proofs requested by the seller of cryptocurrency.

The upload file dialogue box appears.

2. Choose a file and click Upload. 

3. Repeat the same actions for all proofs in the list and click Send to vendor. 

Wait for the seller to review your proofs. Once the seller accepts your proofs, the Step 2 section activates.

Hakbang 2

Once your proofs are accepted by the seller, the Step 2 section becomes active. 

1. Click Upload to upload the proof of payment the same way as all previous files.

2. After making the payment and uploading the proof requested, click Payment complete.

The Step 3 section activates.

Hakbang 3

Wait for the seller to release cryptocurrency. 

In case of success, you receive a notification confirming that the funds have been transferred to your cryptocurrency wallet.

Have a look at our articles about how to buy cryptocurrency with online wallets and how you can create an offer to sell your cryptocurrency.

Currently, the minimum trade amount is 10 USD to buy bitcoins. If you are selling bitcoin, the minimum is 0.001 BTC.

It may happen that you want to start a trade with a specific seller and you get the following message:
"You do not meet the requirements set by the vendor", "Offer not found" and more:

Please note that it is not a technical error. This happens as the offer owners may set the following restrictions for their potential trade partners:

• verification of phone, email, ID 
• nakikita lang ng mga user na markado bilang pinagkakatiwalaan
• a minimum of successful trades required
• ang limit ng halaga ng pera ng bagong account ay may kakayang magtrade
• mga pangheograpiyang harang para sa tukoy na mga bansa
• Mga limitasyon ng Proxy/VPN
• hinarangan ang user dahil sa anumang personal na mga dahilan