FAQ

What is the difference between ATLOS and web2 crypto payment processors?

A web2 payment processor works by directing users to send cryptocurrency manually to its hosted wallet first. Then, the processor forwards these payments, less fees, to the merchant.

With ATLOS, users connect their web3 compatible wallet and approve the payment. The smart contract then pulls the correct amount of funds form the user's wallet and sends it directly to the merchant.

What is the advantage of using ATLOS as opposed to using web2 payments for the customer?

Web2 payments involve copying and pasting the recipient's wallet address (or scanning a QR code) and copying and pasting the amount. ATLOS allows completing the payment with only three button clicks (or just one click for repeat users). No manual copying or scanning is required.

There is significantly less friction and a possibility of a user error or hacks – there have been cases of malicious programs replacing wallet addresses stored in the clipboard while copying.

What is the advantage of using ATLOS as opposed to using web2 payments for the merchant?

Eliminating the human element from the equation makes the system more resilient to attacks, technical mismanagement, and theft. For example, in a web2 processor, funds can potentially be stolen by a rogue employee with access to the hosted wallet. ATLOS uses smart contracts that cannot be altered or turned off once deployed to the blockchain.

What are the benefits of allowing users to pay with crypto?

There is a large segment of people who earn their income in crypto. For them, it is preferable to pay for goods and services with crypto as opposed to first converting crypto into fiat and paying with fiat. The percentage of crypto-native users is projected to grow over time and eventually overtake the percentage of fiat users.

Each crypto transaction contributes significantly to your bottom line. For example, if your net profit margin is currently 20%, and you pay 4.5% for credit card processing, accepting crypto with ATLOS will translate into 3.5% savings for each transaction. That's a 17.5% increase to your bottom line! See the Crypto Payments Savings Calculator for more details.

What are stablecoins?

Stablecoins are tokens that have their value pegged to something stable, such as a national currency, like US dollar or Japanese yen. Popular stablecoins include USDC, USDT, or DAI. When you accept payments in stablecoins, you don't have to worry of the token price fluctuations common for some other cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin. Find out more about the benefits of stablecoins in this article.

How can I convert crypto into fiat (or fiat into crypto)?

You can convert crypto into fiat, or vice versa, at one of the reputable cryptocurrency exchanges or peer-to-peer marketplaces. Some of best known exchanges are:

Binance.us
Binance.com
Coinbase
Kraken
Bitso

Marketplaces:

p2p.Binance.com
Localbitcoins
Paxful

Can ATLOS be used in addition to other payment processing options?

Yes. You may choose to use another payment processor for accepting fiat payment methods, such as credit or debit cards and use ATLOS for accepting crypto payments.

Can a user file a chargeback or recall the payment in some other way after it's been made?

No. All blockchain payments are irreversible. There are no chargebacks ever.

Do you support recurring payments or subscriptions?

Yes. You can specify the recurrency interval in the call to the atlos.Pay method. The valid intervals are one day, one week, one month, and one year. Once the user makes the first payment, our smart contract will automatically pull the same number of tokens from the user's wallet at the specified recurrence interval. In the event if the user's wallet doesn't have enough funds, our system will automatically generate an invoice and notify the user by email that a payment is due.

Do you accept "high-risk" merchants?

Yes. Our system is permissionless, which means that you don't need to obtain an approval (as is the case with most fiat and web2 crypto processors) to use it. The signup process only entails authenticating via a web3 compatible wallet. Nothing else is required.

While we, as developers, have no way of knowing for what you use our system, we do hope that you will use it for accepting payments for a bona fide product or service.

Can ATLOS terminates its services to a merchant or freeze merchant's funds?

No. Fiat and some legacy crypto payment processors have "velocity controls" designed to detect spikes in processing volume and automatically freeze merchant's funds. Fiat payment processors can also ban the merchant's account completely if a chargeback ratio exceeds a certain amount (usually 1% of total processing volume). In contrast, ATLOS does not hold merchant's funds, does not have velocity controls, and does not have chargebacks.

What cryptocurrencies and blockchains do you support?

We support a wide range of native coins such as bitcoin, ether, etc., and a number of stablecoins such as USDC, USDT, DAI and more. Each token may also be supported on more than one blockchain. For example, USDC is available on Ethereum, Binance Smart Chain, and Polygon. New coins and blockchains are continuously added. Please see the full list of supported coins and blockchains.

If you don't see a coin you would like to accept, please contact us. We'll be happy to add it for you.

Why some blockchains do not show up in my payment widget?

When you first sign up with an EVM-compatible wallet, only EVM-compatible blockchains, such as Ethereum or Polygon, show up in the payment widget. To enable other blockchains, such as Bitcoin or Monero, you need to add your wallet addresses or your wallet public keys (see below) for these blockchains.

To add a wallet address or a wallet public key, access the Merchant Panel, then go to Settings -> Wallet Addresses.

What is a wallet public key?

A wallet public key is a string of letters and number that usually begins with "xpub", "ypub", or "zpub". It allows generating different wallet addresses without being able to access and withdraw wallet funds.

For blockchains, such as Bitcoin, for which the public key option is available in the Merchant Panel, you may enter either your wallet address or your wallet public key. If you enter the wallet public key, ATLOS will automatically generate different payment addresses for your wallet. If you enter your wallet address, ATLOS will use only that wallet address for all user payments. Entering a public key is a preferred option.

If your wallet supports multiple blockchains, each will have a separate public key. To find your wallet public key, follow the documentation of your wallet.

How do I get support?

Please contact us via the Contact page or by email .