Independent guidance for merchants who accept payments
Should your business accept cryptocurrency payments?
CryptoLic is the independent resource built to help you answer that question for your specific business. We cover the costs, the tradeoffs, and the setup, in plain English, without a stake in which way you decide.
We sell guides and build free tools. We don't profit from wallets, processors, or coins. No affiliate arrangements change our advice.
New here? Follow the path
You don't have to figure out the order yourself.
Most owners arrive knowing almost nothing about accepting crypto. That's fine. Start with a 3-minute quiz and we'll build your route from there, or open the full roadmap and follow it top to bottom.
Take the Readiness Quiz
Answer a few questions, get an honest read on whether crypto fits, and a plan made from the resources that apply to you.
Take the quiz → Step 2 · FreeKnow your fee number
See what card processing costs your business each year. It's the number every later decision is measured against.
Calculate my fees → The full mapOpen the Start Here roadmap
Eight clear steps from decision to going live, each with the time it takes and exactly what it accomplishes.
See the roadmap →The cost of the status quo
Card processing fees are larger than most merchants realize.
Most owners have made peace with card fees without ever adding them up. The numbers are worth looking at once.
2–4%
of every card sale goes to the networks
Processing fees come off the top of every transaction. Most merchants have stopped noticing. The amount keeps compounding.
Up to 120 days
for a chargeback to arrive
A customer can dispute a card payment months after the sale. You lose the money and often the goods.
2–3 business days
before the money is yours
Card settlement holds your revenue while the networks settle. You pay for the wait.
Step one: know your number
What are card fees costing your business each year?
Enter your annual revenue and the share paid by card. We'll estimate what you're handing to the card networks. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Estimated annual card processing fees
$10,150
That's approximately:
- $195 every week
- $28 every day
- 338 average $30 transactions
- 2.03% of annual revenue
These are estimates to help you understand the scale of payment processing costs.
Now you have a number. See whether crypto payments can reduce it for a business like yours. The 3-minute quiz gives you a personalized answer and a plan.
Prefer the full map first? See the Start Here roadmap.
How this is calculated
Formula. Annual card fees ≈ Annual revenue × % paid by card × processing fee %
Assumptions.
- A blended processing fee of 2.9% is assumed unless you change it. Real rates vary by card type, industry, and provider.
- The weekly, daily, and per-transaction figures divide the annual estimate evenly across the year (52 weeks, 365 days, $30 average sale).
- “% of revenue” is your effective rate: the total fees as a share of total sales.
Limitations.
- Every business is different. Your payment mix, monthly fees, and negotiated rates all shift the real number.
- This estimates card costs only. It does not estimate cryptocurrency savings. The guide explains where savings may or may not apply.
- Cryptocurrency payments complement traditional cards; they don't replace them.
What changes when you bypass the card networks
Three concrete differences, and one important tradeoff.
Crypto payments settle directly, without the card networks. For some merchants that means materially lower costs. It also means new setup work, staff training, and tax record-keeping. Whether the tradeoff is worth it depends on your business, not on anyone's opinion about cryptocurrency.
Lower processing costs
No card network taking 2–4% of every transaction. You keep more of each sale.
Final payments
A confirmed crypto payment can't be reversed. No chargeback disputes, no clawbacks.
Faster settlement
Funds arrive in minutes, not business days. Your cash flow stops waiting on the networks.
The real questions
The things merchants actually want to know.
These are the four questions that come up in every conversation about crypto payments. Answered straight, without softening the parts that are genuinely uncertain.
What about price volatility?
You don't have to hold it. Most payment setups convert to dollars the moment the transaction confirms. The price swings don't touch your books.
How does tax reporting work?
Each crypto sale is ordinary income, like any other payment. We explain exactly what records to keep and what to ask your accountant.
Is it actually secure?
You control the funds directly. No third party holds your money. The guide covers how to do this safely, step by step.
Will my customers know how to pay?
They scan a QR code with their phone and confirm. It takes about as long as tapping a card. Your staff and counter setup matter more than your customers' familiarity.
Free tools
Useful before you decide anything.
These tools solve specific merchant problems without requiring a purchase or an account. Nothing you enter ever leaves your device.
Merchant Payment Card Builder
Build a printable crypto payment display for your counter in minutes. Free, no account needed.
Everything is generated entirely in your browser. Your wallet addresses and business details never leave your device and are never sent to us. Privacy is the default, not a setting.
The complete decision framework
Everything you need to reach a confident answer.
A plain-English guide for business owners who want to make a sound decision about cryptocurrency payments. It explains how the economics work, what the real tradeoffs are, and how to set things up if you decide to proceed. No crypto knowledge assumed. No pressure to say yes.
- Know whether crypto payments make sense for your specific business
- Understand how to accept crypto without holding a volatile asset
- Choose between a payment processor and self-hosted setup
- Know what records to keep and what to ask your accountant
- Avoid the setup mistakes that cost first-timers time and money
Educational content only. Not financial, legal, or tax advice.
Where this is going
From the decision to day-to-day operations.
The decision to accept crypto is the beginning, not the end. CryptoLic is building the complete resource: understanding, setup, and ongoing operations. Guidance is here at every stage.
Understand
The flagship guide and free articles cover the full decision: economics, tradeoffs, setup options, and what to ask your accountant. Five companion guides address specific situations: mobile merchants, counter staff, security, going live, and customer signage. Browse the full catalog →
Implement
Step-by-step deployment guides for wallet selection, payment processor setup, and going live. For when the decision is made.
Operate
Playbooks for day-to-day operations: staff training, refund procedures, accounting workflows, and keeping up as conditions change.
Why trust CryptoLic
What makes independent guidance different.
We'll tell you no if that's the right answer
Our only job is helping you reach a confident decision. If cryptocurrency payments don't fit your business, the guide says so directly. Same clarity, regardless of the answer.
No affiliate relationships that change the advice
We don't receive commissions from wallets, processors, or coins. What we recommend is what we'd recommend regardless of who benefits.
Written for the decision, not the technology
The guide covers how the economics work and what the setup involves. Not how the blockchain works. Business owners need a different explanation than developers do.
Specific figures, not general claims
Every cost comparison and tradeoff in the guide uses real, verifiable numbers. Vague advice is easy to produce. Specific, honest advice takes longer.
CryptoLic earns revenue by selling guides and building free tools merchants find useful. We don't sell wallets, processors, or coins. We hold no equity in any product we evaluate. We have no affiliate arrangements that change our recommendations. Our interests are aligned with yours: you get a straight answer, you trust the source, and you might buy the guide. That's it.