Quick answer
How do I send USDT on the right network (TRC-20 or ERC-20)?
To send USDT on the right network, choose the same network in your wallet as the one the receiving address belongs to: TRC-20 on Tron or ERC-20 on Ethereum. Gloamport takes USDT on the networks listed in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, XMR, so a Dusk VPS at $5.25 a month on the 12-month term is paid on the network its checkout shows.
How do the two common USDT networks differ?
| Point | TRC-20 (Tron) | ERC-20 (Ethereum) |
|---|---|---|
| Address shape | 34 characters, starts with T | 42 characters, starts with 0x, then 40 hex digits |
| Fee is paid in | TRX: bandwidth and energy, burned from TRX when none is staked | ETH: gas, paid in the network’s native currency |
| What the wallet needs besides USDT | A little TRX | A little ETH |
| Fee depends on | Energy a contract call uses and the TRX burned for it | Units of gas used times (base fee + priority fee) |
| Where the transfer is visible | A public Tron block explorer | A public Ethereum block explorer |
Prices checked on
Address shapes from the Tron developer documentation and ethereum.org; fee rules from the same sources. See the sources block below.
Why does the network matter for a USDT payment?
The network matters because USDT is a token that exists on many blockchains, and each blockchain keeps its own balances. Tether lists USDT on Ethereum, Tron, Solana, Avalanche, TON and several other protocols, and states that tokens on the different chains are treated as interchangeable in value. Interchangeable in value does not mean a wallet can send from one chain to an address on another. The address you copy belongs to one chain; the wallet you send from must submit the transfer to that same chain.
A Tron address and an Ethereum address look different, which helps, but the network label in your wallet is the part you must check by eye. Monero hides the sender, the receiver and the amount of a payment by default. Bitcoin, USDT and the other coins are public ledgers: anyone who links an address to you can see what it paid and when. A USDT payment is therefore a public record on the chain you choose.
How to send USDT on the right network
Six steps, in this order. Do them before you send anything.
Read the network in the checkout
Open the Gloamport checkout, pick USDT and read the network name shown next to the address. The checkout lists the USDT networks it takes; only those work. The coins and networks are listed in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, XMR.
Check which network your wallet or exchange withdrawal offers
In the withdraw screen of the wallet or exchange, find the field named Network or Chain. Select the same network as the checkout. If your wallet offers only one USDT network, check that it is on the list before going on.
Keep the fee coin in the wallet
A TRC-20 transfer needs TRX for the fee; an ERC-20 transfer needs ETH for gas. USDT cannot pay its own fee on these two networks. Buy a little of the fee coin first if the balance is zero.
Copy the address from the checkout and compare its shape
Paste the address into your wallet from the checkout, never from a message or a note. A Tron address starts with T and has 34 characters; an Ethereum address starts with 0x and has 42. Compare the first and last six characters with the checkout.
Send the exact amount shown
Enter the USDT amount the checkout asks for. The minimum top-up is $25. If the wallet takes the fee out of the USDT you send, raise the amount so the receiving address still gets the full figure.
Wait for confirmations and keep the transaction ID
The checkout shows how many confirmations your network needs before the balance is credited. Save the transaction ID (TXID) shown by your wallet: it is the proof of payment if you contact support.
# Tron (TRC-20): 34 characters, base58, starts with T
echo "$ADDR" | grep -E '^T[1-9A-HJ-NP-Za-km-z]{33}$'
# Ethereum (ERC-20): 0x followed by 40 hexadecimal digits
echo "$ADDR" | grep -E '^0x[0-9a-fA-F]{40}$'What does a USDT transfer cost on each network?
The cost is a network fee paid in the chain’s native coin, not in USDT. On Tron, the Tron documentation says smart-contract calls consume energy, that energy has no free quota, and that TRX is burned for the part of the cost that staked energy does not cover. A TRC-20 transfer is a contract call, so a wallet with no staked energy pays in TRX. On Ethereum, gas fees are paid in ETH and equal units of gas times the base fee plus the priority fee, and contract interactions use more gas than a plain ETH transfer.
Both fees move with network load, so read the figure in your wallet when you send. A Gloam VPS at $8.25 a month on the 12-month term is a small payment, so a fee that is a visible share of it is a reason to pick the cheaper network on the list.
What should you do if you sent USDT on the wrong network?
Stop and do not send again. A transfer on a network that the receiver does not use does not credit the order, and whether the funds can be recovered depends on who controls the receiving address on that network.
Write down the TXID, the network you used and the address, then contact support through A person answers support emails within 12 hours, seven days a week, including help with SSH keys, reinstalls and firewall rules with those three items. Do not send a second payment to “make up” the first one. Only the order, the coin and the network shown in the checkout are credited. The Can I pay for a VPS with USDT? page explains what the checkout accepts.
How does a USDT payment compare with paying in Monero?
A USDT payment is public on its chain, while a Monero payment is not shown by a public explorer. According to Gloamport’s survey of 10 November 2026, 21 of the 49 providers listed accept USDT, against 26 that accept Monero.
The network step does not exist for Monero in the same way: it has one network. If the point of your order is to keep the payment off a public ledger, read How do I buy a VPS with Monero (XMR)?. If you hold USDT already, the steps above are enough. Either way, no name, address or identity document is requested at checkout, as the Where can I buy a VPS with no KYC? page explains.
Which VPS size should a USDT payment cover?
Cover one term of the plan that fits the job, and leave a margin for the fee. Ember, at $3.74 a month on the 12-month term, fits A WireGuard VPN for a few devices. Dusk, at $5.25, fits A VPN plus a Tor relay or an onion site. Terms run 1, 3, 6 or 12 months (3 at least for Ember and Dusk); the 12-month price per month is the smallest of the four. See the plans for every size.
In summary
- USDT exists on many networks; the network you send on must match the receiving address.
- TRC-20 addresses start with T (34 characters); ERC-20 addresses start with 0x (42 characters).
- TRC-20 fees are paid in TRX, ERC-20 fees in ETH, so keep a little of that coin in the wallet.
- Copy the address from the checkout and check the network name, not just the first characters.
- Gloamport’s checkout takes only the USDT networks listed in BTC, USDT, USDC, ETH, SOL, LTC, XMR.
- Keep the TXID; it is your proof of payment.
- Do not resend after a mistake: contact support with the TXID, network and address.
USDT networks: common questions
Is TRC-20 or ERC-20 better for paying a VPS?
Neither is better in itself. TRC-20 pays its fee in TRX and ERC-20 in ETH, so the better one is the network your wallet already holds the fee coin for, among the networks the checkout lists.
Can I send USDT from an exchange?
Yes, if its withdrawal screen lets you pick the network that the checkout shows. Exchanges may add their own withdrawal fee.
Can I use the same address for Tron and Ethereum?
No. A Tron address starts with T and an Ethereum address with 0x, so each belongs to one chain. Never reuse one chain’s address on the other.
Why does my wallet say I have no funds for the fee?
On Tron the fee is paid in TRX and on Ethereum in ETH, not in USDT. Add a small amount of that coin to the same wallet, then send again.
Do I have to send the exact amount?
Send the amount the checkout shows, and at least the minimum top-up of $25. If your sending service deducts a fee from the amount, add it so the full figure arrives.
Sources (5)
- Tether: Supported protocols — Tether Operations (checked 2026-11-10)
- TRON developer documentation: Resource model (bandwidth and energy) — TRON DAO (checked 2026-11-10)
- TRON developer documentation: Account (address formats) — TRON DAO (checked 2026-11-10)
- Gas and fees — ethereum.org (checked 2026-11-10)
- Ethereum accounts (address format) — ethereum.org (checked 2026-11-10)