Crypto Memos and Destination Tags: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

A crypto memo or destination tag is an extra field that some deposits need next to the address. Below: how to tell whether your transfer needs one, where to copy it and what to do if you already sent without it. When you send cryptocurrency to an exchange, check its deposit screen before you press send, because a deposit without a required tag can be left uncredited.

What is a destination tag, and what is a memo?

On networks that use memos or tags, such as Stellar and XRP, exchanges often give many customers the same deposit address (opens in a new tab), so the address alone cannot say whose money arrived. The tag or memo tells the exchange which customer to credit.

An XRP destination tag is a whole number, with no letters. On the Stellar network the same job is done by a memo, which can also hold text. A cryptocurrency memo is the same idea under another name, and Binance.US notes (opens in a new tab) that other platforms or wallets may call it a tag, tag name, digital ID, label or note.

On the XRP Ledger the tag has no direct function of its own (opens in a new tab). The coins reach the shared address, and the receiving business uses the tag to credit the right account. Without it, it is not obvious which customer to credit, which can need manual work and a discussion with the sender.

As of October 2026, Stellar's docs say (opens in a new tab) muxed accounts, a newer way to tell users apart in a pooled account, are not yet supported by all wallets and exchanges. So a receiving screen may show a muxed address instead of a separate memo, or still ask for a memo. Follow what that screen shows.

Which coins use a memo or tag

As of October 2026, Binance.US (opens in a new tab) (US only) lists these among the coins that need a memo. Its list says "including but not limited to", and other platforms' lists may differ.

The names for HBAR and ATOM follow Binance.US's wording. For any coin not listed here, trust the receiving screen, not a list.

When you need one, by direction

The receiving account decides, not the coin. Not every XRP address needs a tag, and a coin that needs one at an exchange may need none in your wallet. Binance.US tells users (opens in a new tab) to confirm whether the receiving address requires a memo before they withdraw.

• To an exchange, from another exchange or from your wallet: the exchange's deposit screen decides. If it shows a tag or memo field, the deposit needs it.
• To a wallet you control: Trezor says (opens in a new tab) you do not need a destination tag to receive funds in Trezor Suite. That covers Trezor Suite only. For another wallet, copy a tag only if its receive screen shows one.
• When the sending form demands a tag but your wallet shows none: for Trezor Suite, Trezor's advice is to enter any number if prompted. For another wallet, read its docs or ask its support before you send.

One network can enforce the rule. On the XRP Ledger an account can turn on a setting called RequireDest, and the ledger then rejects payments without a tag. Only accounts that turned it on do this.

Stellar works differently. A standard called SEP-29 (opens in a new tab) lets an account flag that it needs a memo. The check is done by sending wallets that follow SEP-29, which warn you and stop the send, so do not count on a warning appearing.

What you need before you start

• The coin and the network you plan to use. If you are unsure about the network, read how to choose a withdrawal network.
• The receiving platform's deposit screen, or your wallet's receive screen, open for that coin.
• The app you send from, with enough balance for a small test and its fees.
• The receiving platform's help center, to check for any minimum deposit.

How to check and enter a memo or tag

1. Open the receiving screen for your coin and network

   On the exchange you deposit to, open the deposit screen, then choose the coin and, if asked, the network. For your own wallet, open its receive screen for the same coin.

   Look for a tag or memo field next to the address; if there is one, you need it. If the screen shows none, leave the field empty, and if you cannot tell, ask the receiving platform's support before you send.

2. Copy the address and the tag separately

   Copy the address first, then the tag or memo on its own. An XRP tag should be whole numbers only. If your wallet asks for a Stellar memo type, choose the one the receiving screen names, or ask support if it names none.

3. Paste the tag into its own field

   In the sending app, paste the address into the address field and the tag into the tag or memo field. Never add the tag to the end of the address. If the form has no tag or memo field, do not send; ask support at the sending app.

4. Compare both on the confirm screen

   Before you confirm, compare the address and the tag with the receiving screen, character by character. If either one differs, cancel and copy it again.

5. Send a small test and check it is credited

   Trezor suggests testing (opens in a new tab) with a small transaction first. A test only proves the tag works if the receiving account is credited.

   The amount credited should equal what you sent minus any fee the screens showed; if it does not, ask support before you send more. For the sending steps, read how to send crypto to a wallet.

Example with made-up numbers

The amounts and the outcome below are invented, and your exchange may handle a missing tag differently. Network fees are left out.

• Your exchange's deposit screen shows one shared address for Coin X and the tag 123456, the tag assigned to your account.
• Deposit 1: you send 50 Coin X to that address with tag 123456. The exchange credits 50 Coin X to your account.
• Deposit 2: you send another 50 Coin X to the same address, but leave the tag field empty. The coins reach the shared address, yet the exchange cannot tell whose they are. They wait for support to match them to you.
• Result: 50 Coin X credited, 50 Coin X waiting.

If you forgot the memo on an exchange deposit

1. Do not send again. Cryptocurrency payments typically are not reversible (opens in a new tab), so a second send does not pull back the first.
2. Find the transaction ID (TxID) in the sending app's history, and read it with how to track a crypto transaction. The send guide explains what to do when crypto does not arrive, and the checks for a deposit that is not showing cover the receiving side.
3. Gather the TxID, the network, the receiving address, the amount, the time and the tag you entered (or note that you left it empty). Also take a screenshot of the transaction from the sending app.
4. Contact the receiving platform's support from inside its own app or website. It may need to work with you to find out who the payment was meant for.

Any fee or wait is that platform's policy, so ask for both before you agree. As an example, Binance.US (opens in a new tab) (US only) says that as of October 2026 it charges a 5% processing fee for recovering deposits sent without a memo, deducted from the deposit before it returns it.

Its submissions typically take a few business days, and it asks for a screenshot from the sending wallet or exchange, not from a public block explorer. It also lists an account that is not advanced verified as a reason for rejection.

Nobody who is helping you needs your recovery phrase. Never share it, and be wary of anyone who offers to recover your coins for a fee. Read how to spot crypto scams and what a seed phrase is.

Risks to understand

• A required tag that is missing may lead to lost funds. SEP-29 says (opens in a new tab) dealing with missing memos may result in lost funds and requires manual work from support staff.
• Recovery is not guaranteed. It can cost a fee, take days and depend on conditions the platform sets.
• Lists of memo coins change, and a platform's rules can differ from another's.

Before you send, read how to send crypto to a wallet; if you have not bought yet, start with how to buy crypto.