What a QR payment with crypto is made of: the rate, the service fee, the merchant margin, cashback and withdrawal fees. A worked example shows how to check the total before you confirm.
The numbers that matter when you pay with crypto
The easiest way to compare ways of paying a QR code is a single number: how much crypto is debited for the same price in rubles (₽, the Russian ruble). A rate from a chart online won't tell you, because the total depends on the payment rate, the fees and how they are applied. Here is how it works in TeleCard.
Every figure in this article is a default value from the service settings or an illustrative example. The app shows the terms that actually apply on the confirmation screen, before you press the button.
The payment rate and how it differs from the market rate
The shop's ruble price has to be turned into crypto. The starting point is the market USDT/RUB rate, and your payment rate sits below it: by default 4% lower. That is the 3% service fee plus the 1% margin of the merchant who pays the shop in rubles.
The formula is straightforward: payment rate = market rate × (1 − 4%), and the debit = ruble amount ÷ payment rate. The rate is locked for 30 seconds. If the time runs out, the app shows refreshed terms and you confirm them again.
Where the rate comes from
TeleCard takes the market rate from several sources and cross-checks them: a source that strays far from the others isn't trusted. The rate is refreshed regularly, so the numbers differ from one moment to the next.
If a current rate can't be obtained, the app temporarily stops issuing quotes, and a payment can't be created until the data is updated. That is why the rate in your quote isn't “the price on a chart”, it is a locked condition of one particular operation.
What counts as a fee and what doesn't
| Item | Default | How it is applied |
|---|---|---|
| Service fee | 3% | Built into the payment rate, not charged as a separate line |
| Merchant margin | 1% | Built into the payment rate |
| Cashback | 1% | Credited in USDT · TRC20 after the order is completed, out of the service fee |
| Net after cashback | about 3% | The difference from the market rate once cashback is counted |
| Crypto deposit | No TeleCard fee | You pay the network fee in your own wallet |
| Crypto withdrawal | Network cost + 25% | Never below the asset minimum, deducted from the withdrawal amount |
A worked example
Take an illustrative market rate of ₽80.00 per USDT and a purchase of ₽1,500.
- Payment rate: ₽80.00 × (1 − 4%) = ₽76.80 per USDT.
- Your debit: ₽1,500 ÷ ₽76.80 = 19.53 USDT.
- Cashback of 1%: 0.20 USDT, credited once the order is completed.
These figures are illustrative: they are not a live rate or an offer. The app shows the real quote before you confirm.
How the withdrawal fee works
Withdrawing crypto to an external address is a separate operation. The withdrawal fee is the network cost plus a 25% margin, and it never drops below the minimum for the chosen asset. It is deducted from the withdrawal amount, so the recipient receives the amount minus the fee. You see the total on the confirmation screen.
| Asset and network | Withdrawal fee | Minimum withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| USDT · TRC20 | from 3 USDT | 10 USDT |
| USDT · ERC20 | from 0.5 USDT | 5 USDT |
| USDT · TON | from 0.15 USDT | 2 USDT |
| BTC | from 0.00002 BTC | 0.0002 BTC |
| ETH | from 0.0002 ETH | 0.002 ETH |
| Gram (TON) | from 0.03 Gram | 0.5 Gram |
The actual fee can be higher than the minimum shown, because it follows the network cost. If a network is so congested that a transfer costs more than the allowed maximum, withdrawals of that asset can be paused for a while. Withdrawals up to 500 USDT (equivalent) are approved automatically, larger ones go through a review, and the daily withdrawal limit is 5,000 USDT by default.
How to compare terms fairly
For a comparison to mean anything, put the same things side by side:
- Use the same ruble amount for the purchase.
- Look at the final debit in one asset, not at a fee percentage on its own.
- Treat cashback as a separate line: it arrives later and doesn't reduce the debit now.
- Compare at the same moment in time, because the rate moves.
A low fee won't help if the rate is poor, and the other way round. What counts in the end is the final debit for an identical purchase.
What to do when the quote has expired
Request a fresh quote and check it again: the ruble price, the rate and the final debit. Different numbers aren't a mistake, they simply mean the previous lock has ended. Don't confirm old terms from memory or from a screenshot.
The timer only applies to the confirmation. It doesn't promise that a merchant will pay the QR code within the same 30 seconds: the merchant's payment and the status update come later. The stages are described in how to pay a Russian QR code with crypto.
How to check the total after you pay
Open the operation's record in your history and compare the asset, the amount and the result with what you saw before confirming. Comparing the total with the market rate hours later makes little sense: the quote was locked at the time of the order.
- The ruble amount of the purchase.
- The rate of that particular operation.
- The final debit in crypto.
- How long the quote was valid.
If you find a mismatch, note the operation number and the time, attach screenshots and contact support. The full procedure is in how to verify a QR payment and contact support.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my total differ from what I calculate with the rate I see online?
The payment rate is below the market rate by the built-in service fee and merchant margin, 4% in total by default. Check the quote of your own operation and the final debit: a general market rate doesn't describe all the terms of a payment.
Is there an extra fee on top of a QR payment?
No. The service fee and the merchant margin are already built into the payment rate, and you see the total on the screen before you confirm.
How much cashback does TeleCard give?
By default 1% of the payment amount in USDT, credited in USDT · TRC20 once the order is completed. The value is set in service settings, so check the app for the current one.
Does cashback reduce the amount debited?
No. It arrives after the order is completed, so your balance has to cover the full amount when you pay.
Who pays the withdrawal fee?
You do: it is deducted from the withdrawal amount, and the recipient gets the amount minus the fee. The totals are shown before you confirm.
