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Paying in a game

When you buy something or leave a tip, a payment sheet slides in on the right of the game. Your money goes straight to the game's developer. Stablecoin for Games never holds it, and there is no account to create.

You need USDC or USDT on one of the networks the game offers, plus a little of that network's own coin for the fee: ETH on Ethereum, Arbitrum and Base, POL on Polygon, SOL on Solana. On Arc the fee is paid in USDC itself, so USDC is all you need; keep a cent or so spare for it.

The steps​

The sheet shows one step at a time. Steps with only one choice are skipped. The ← arrow, Esc or a right-click goes back one step.

The screenshots come from Ruby Dreams on test networks, so the network names end in Sepolia or Amoy. A real game lists Ethereum, Arbitrum, Polygon, Base, Arc or Solana.

1. Amount (tips only)​

Pick a suggested amount or enter your own, then press Next.

Tip amount step: suggested amounts of 1, 3, 5 and 10 USDC, a custom amount field and a Next button

2. Network​

"Which network holds your USDC?" Pick the network your tokens are on. Sending on a different network than the one you picked can lose your funds.

Network step: four network buttons, each with a fee hint

3. Payment method​

Payment method step: Browser wallet, Phone wallet and Manual transfer

Browser wallet opens a wallet extension such as MetaMask or Phantom. In a downloaded game this opens a checkout page in your web browser. In a game played in the browser, the wallet opens right over the game.

Browser wallet step with the Open checkout in browser button

Phone wallet shows a QR code. Open your wallet app and scan it. On Android, Open wallet app sends the payment to the wallet installed on the phone.

Phone wallet step: a QR code and three numbered instructions

Manual transfer shows the amount, the address and the token contract, each with a Copy button. Use it to send from an exchange or a wallet that can't scan codes.

Manual transfer step: amount, address and token contract with Copy buttons, and a warning to send on the chosen network only

4. Approve​

Approve the payment in your wallet, or press I've sent it after a manual transfer.

5. Waiting​

The game watches the network for your payment, then waits for it to be confirmed. On Solana that takes about 15 to 20 seconds. On Ethereum it takes a few minutes.

Waiting step: Waiting for your payment, with Cancel and Continue playing buttons

6. Done​

"Payment confirmed. Thank you!" The sheet shows your transaction hash (on Solana, the signature). Copy it and keep it. It is your receipt, and you need it to restore the purchase on another device.

Done step: Payment confirmed, the transaction hash with Copy hash and View on explorer buttons

Why the amount has extra digits​

The sheet shows the price, for example 4.99 USDC. Once you pick a network, a line under it says your wallet will ask for something like 4.993742 USDC. The last four digits tell the game which item you bought and which payment is yours. They add less than a cent.

The QR code and the browser wallet fill in that exact amount for you. On the Manual transfer step, send exactly the amount shown there.

On Solana the game finds your payment even if your wallet or exchange changes the amount. On the other networks it may not. Then, on the Manual transfer step, paste the transaction hash into "Sent from an exchange?" and press Check. Any amount at or above the price counts.

You don't have to wait​

Press Continue playing to close the sheet. The game keeps checking in the background, even after you quit and restart it, for up to 24 hours. The item unlocks by itself once the payment is confirmed.

When something goes wrong​

What you seeWhat it means
"Can't reach the network. Retrying..."The game can't reach the blockchain right now. It keeps trying. Check your internet connection.
"Payment too small"Less than the price arrived. Contact the developer with your transaction hash.
"The payment window has closed"The game stopped waiting. If you already paid, it keeps checking for 24 hours and unlocks the item when the payment arrives. You can also restore it with the transaction hash.
The checkout page warns that you have no ETH or almost no SOL "for the network fee"Add a little of that network's coin to your wallet first, or the transaction will fail.
On Arc, the checkout page warns that "less than 0.01 USDC would be left for the network fee"Arc takes its fee in USDC. Pay with a little more USDC in your wallet than the price, or the transaction may fail.
An Arc payment stays "pending" in your walletArc ignores transactions with a fee that is too low. Use your wallet's "speed up" option, or send again with a higher fee.
You paid on the wrong networkThe game can't see it. Contact the developer. They can look up the transaction and refund it or unlock the item by hand.

The game can't issue refunds. The money is already in the developer's wallet, so refunds and support requests go to the developer.