How to Verify a Crypto Payment on a Block Explorer

A screenshot of a wallet showing "Sent" proves nothing. Images can be edited, transactions can fail after being submitted and tokens can be fakes with familiar names. The only reliable way to confirm a crypto payment is to check it on a block explorer for the correct network. It takes about a minute once you know what to look for.

Get the right details

To verify a payment, you need:

• The transaction hash, a long string starting with 0x on EVM networks
• The network the payment was sent on
• The expected token, amount and recipient address

Ask for the transaction hash rather than a screenshot. Every legitimate wallet and exchange can provide it.

Open the correct explorer

Each network has its own explorer. A transaction hash from Base will not appear on the Ethereum mainnet explorer. Common explorers include Etherscan for Ethereum, Basescan for Base, Arbiscan for Arbitrum, Polygonscan for Polygon, BscScan for BNB Chain and the Optimism explorer for Optimism.

Paste the transaction hash into the search box. If nothing appears, check the network first.

Step 1: Check the status

At the top of the transaction page, look for the status:

Status	Meaning
Success	The transaction executed
Failed or reverted	The transaction did not transfer funds
Pending	Not yet included in a block
Not found	Wrong network, invalid hash or not yet broadcast

Only a successful transaction counts as payment.

Step 2: Check the token transfer

For stablecoin payments, the transaction's main recipient is often the token contract rather than your wallet. Look for the token transfers section, which lists:

• From address
• To address
• Amount
• Token name and contract

Click the token name to see its contract address. Compare it with the official contract for that token on that network. Scam tokens copy names and symbols, so the contract address is what matters.

Step 3: Check the recipient

Confirm the "To" address in the token transfer matches your receiving address exactly. Compare the full address or at least several sections, including the middle, since attackers create lookalike addresses.

Step 4: Check the amount

Compare the amount with the invoice or order. Watch for:

• Rounded amounts when an exact amount was required
• Exchange fees deducted from the amount
• Decimal differences between tokens on different networks, which explorers normally display correctly

Step 5: Check confirmations and time

Explorers show the block number and often the number of confirmations. Make sure the transaction has enough confirmations for your risk level. Check the timestamp to confirm the payment happened after the order or invoice was created, which prevents reuse of old transactions.

Step 6: Record it

Save the transaction hash with the order or invoice. A unique record of each payment reference prevents the same transaction from being claimed twice.

Red flags

Be cautious if:

1. The customer sends a screenshot but cannot provide a hash
2. The token contract does not match the official one
3. The transaction was sent to a different address that looks similar to yours
4. The transaction is old or already used for another order
5. Someone pressures you to deliver before verification

Automating verification

Businesses processing many payments automate these checks using blockchain data directly. The logic mirrors the manual steps: status, token contract, recipient, amount, confirmations and uniqueness. Proud Globe runs exactly these checks on every order, and any buyer can paste a transaction hash on the order page to trigger a verification instantly.