When you check out with crypto, you usually get a choice of coins. For paying for services like SMTP, hosting or a VPS, the two most common are USDT (Tether) and Bitcoin (BTC). Here's how they compare where it matters for a payment.
Price stability: USDT wins
USDT is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, so 20 USDT is about $20 whenever you send it. The amount you pay matches the invoice exactly, with no swing between quote and confirmation. Bitcoin's price moves, so a provider quotes a BTC amount that's valid for a short window — fine in practice, but the stablecoin removes any guesswork.
Fees: depends on the network
This is less about the coin and more about the network you send over:
- USDT on TRON (TRC-20): typically a few cents — usually the cheapest option.
- USDT on Ethereum (ERC-20): can be several dollars when the network is busy.
- Bitcoin: fees vary with demand, generally more than TRC-20 USDT but predictable.
Speed: both are fast enough
For a service payment, both confirm quickly — USDT on TRON and most altcoin networks in seconds to a minute or two, Bitcoin usually within minutes. Either is fast enough that your order provisions shortly after.
Privacy: similar at checkout
Paying with either coin means you don't hand card details to the vendor. Neither Bitcoin nor USDT is truly anonymous — both record transactions on a public ledger — but for an ordinary purchase they offer the same practical benefit: a card-free checkout with an invoice and support.
So which should you use?
- Use USDT (TRC-20) if you want the amount to match the invoice to the cent and the lowest fee — the most convenient choice for most people.
- Use Bitcoin if it's simply what you hold, or you prefer the most widely supported coin.
At mmSMTP you can pay with either, plus Ethereum, Litecoin and a dozen more — see how crypto checkout works, or put it into practice with our guide to buying SMTP with crypto.