Stablecoins are reshaping the way money moves around the world. Over the past few years, stablecoins like USDC have grown to over a trillion dollars in monthly transaction volume. But they haven’t seen mass adoption in mainstream commerce—until now. In partnership with Coinbase and Stripe, merchants can now accept stablecoins from customers globally on the Base network, using their existing payment capture and order fulfillment flows; no integrations or gateways required.
Announcing USDC on Shopify Payments
Customers can pay with USDC on Base, from hundreds of supported crypto wallets, on guest checkout and on Shop Pay¹.
Merchants can choose how they want to receive their funds:
- By default, all USDC payments will be converted to the merchant’s local currency, with no foreign exchange or multi-currency fees. Payouts are deposited to their existing bank account connected to Shopify Payments.
- Merchants may alternatively elect to withdraw USDC funds on Base to their own crypto wallet.
Coming soon, merchants and customers will enjoy further savings from USDC payments:
- Merchants with shops in the US and other select countries will receive a rebate of up to 0.50% on USDC orders¹.
- In the United States, customers will receive a further rebate when they pay with USDC, coming later this year.
Ready for prime time: why stablecoins’ time has come
Cryptocurrencies have come a long way since their early days. Three key innovations have made this progress possible: stablecoins, which hold a constant value relative to a currency like the US dollar; networks like Base that offer fast, cheap, and reliable transactions; and wallets that make digital payments effortless.
Digital dollars, available everywhere
Unlike cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether, which have fluctuating values, USDC (issued by Circle) is backed 1:1 by US Dollar reserves, and is designed to maintain a constant value. The amount of USDC in circulation has accelerated faster than any other global stablecoin, growing by more than 78% year-over-year. It is increasingly accepted as an everyday currency. When customers pay in USDC, merchants receive funds in a currency that is secure, reliable, and easily exchangeable.
Faster checkouts
Customers love paying with digital wallets that speed them through checkout and improve conversion for merchants. Stablecoin payments are no exception: customers can pay in USDC with any wallet that supports Base, with a fast, familiar experience.
Secure payment infrastructure
Base is a network built on top of the Ethereum blockchain that offers fast, cheap, and secure transactions; it provides a 24/7 global payment rail that operates at the speed of the internet. If merchants choose to withdraw in USDC rather than convert to their local currency, they’ll receive funds on Base, in their own wallet.
Industry-standard payment capture
Despite the growing consumer and institutional adoption of stablecoins, current stablecoin payment systems haven't properly adapted to the needs of modern commerce. No commerce platform has successfully handled crypto transactions at scale while satisfying the intricacies of payment authorization, such as delayed payment capture at fulfillment, without trusted third parties needing to sit between customers and merchants.
Shopify and Coinbase addressed these challenges with a first-of-its-kind escrow smart contract built specifically for authorization and delayed capture mechanics. From tax finalization to refunds, the smart contract implements industry-standard payment operations that merchants expect from a payments solution. Read more about it here.
Innovate your payments and future-proof your store
Commerce is being reshaped by digital currencies and decentralized technologies – and with Shopify, merchants are ahead of the curve. Accepting USDC on Base is simple and fits effortlessly into existing purchasing flows with Shopify Payments. Merchants can confidently tap into new markets, drive more sales, and embrace the future of borderless, accessible commerce.
Let your customers pay with USDC on Base, right in your checkout. Review your settings in your admin to easily adjust payment methods or review our help doc. USDC acceptance is offered as a part of Shopify Payments, and is included at the standard domestic Shopify Payments rate. All payouts will remain on your existing Shopify Payments payout schedule, which you can view or change in your admin settings.
Disclaimer
Your Shopify Payment Terms of Service have been updated to cover USDC payments on Base.
¹Terms, restrictions and eligibility requirements will apply. Not available in all countries.
