Wallets & the one-signature checkout
The Coshpay checkout is built so that we never receive a credential of any kind — no password, no key, no login. A wallet you control does the signing; we just show you the cheapest route and prepare the transaction for your approval. This page answers everything people actually wonder at that moment, in five minutes.
The 60-second version
- • A browser wallet is a free key manager (extension or app). No signup, no email, no identity — it generates keys that only exist on your device.
- • Connecting it to a site shares your public address only. Money moves only when you approve a specific transaction, one signature at a time.
- • Your Coinbase app is a different thing— it's your exchange account, and in our route it stays what it is: the free exit to your bank. The wallet handles the cheap conversion; Coinbase handles the dollars.
Every question, answered straight
Why does the checkout use a wallet instead of a login?
Because it means we never receive any credential at all. Connecting a wallet shares only your public address — no password, no email, no key. Every action must be individually approved by you, inside your own wallet, and you can disconnect at any time. There is nothing to hand us, so there is nothing we could lose, leak, or misuse.
I have the Coinbase app but not Coinbase Wallet. What do I do?
They're different products with confusingly similar names. The Coinbase app is your exchange account (Coinbase holds the keys) — that stays exactly where it is, as your free exit to the bank. For the one-signature step you need any self-custody wallet: Coinbase Wallet (the separate blue app/extension), MetaMask, Rabby, or Phantom. Installing one takes about five minutes and doesn't touch your Coinbase account.
I have Coinbase Wallet on my phone but no browser extension. What do I do?
Easiest path: open coshpay.com inside Coinbase Wallet's built-in browser (in the app, use the browser/dapp tab) — the connect button works there with no extension needed. Same trick works in MetaMask and Phantom mobile. On desktop, you can simply create a fresh wallet in the extension — wallets are free and having more than one is normal. Never type an existing seed phrase into anything just to 'move' a wallet quickly.
Which wallet should I pick?
Any major one works — they're all free. Coinbase Wallet if you want the familiar brand next to your Coinbase exit. MetaMask if you want the most widely used. Rabby if you want the clearest preview of what a transaction will do before you sign (a genuinely nice safety feature). Phantom if you also hold Solana assets. Install only from the official website or store listing, and check the publisher.
Does using MetaMask mean paying MetaMask's 0.875% fee?
No. That fee applies only to the wallet's own built-in swap button. Our route never touches it — the wallet is just the pen you sign with. Same for Phantom's 0.85%.
What is a seed phrase and what do I do with it?
Twelve words the wallet shows you once, at creation. They ARE the wallet. Write them on paper, store the paper somewhere safe, and never photograph, screenshot, or type them anywhere except the wallet app itself during a deliberate recovery. Nobody legitimate will ever ask for them — not Coshpay, not support staff, not a popup. Anyone who asks is a scam, always.
What is gas and why do I need a little ETH?
Gas is the network's own fee for processing a transaction, paid in the chain's native coin (ETH on Base, Arbitrum, Optimism). On Base it's typically a fraction of a cent. It's why the checkout holds back a sliver of ETH when you use 'max' — the signature itself has to pay its bus fare. Every on-chain service pays gas; we just show it.
Where do I get the Coinbase deposit address — and which app?
From the Coinbase APP (your exchange account): Receive → USDC → choose the network shown in the checkout → copy. NOT from Coinbase Wallet — that's a self-custody address, and USDC sent there won't land in your exchange account or reach the free bank exit. The checkout saves the address on your device only and asks you to confirm it's yours.
What exactly am I signing?
One transaction, prepared by LI.FI's audited routing contracts, shown in full before you approve: the exact amount in, the minimum USDC out (slippage-protected), the destination address, and the fee line. Your wallet displays the same details in its popup. If anything looks different from what Coshpay showed you, reject it — rejecting costs nothing.
Can Coshpay move my funds once I've connected?
No. Connecting reveals your public address (which the whole blockchain can already see) and nothing else. Funds move only when you sign a specific transaction, and each signature authorizes exactly one action with exact amounts. We never hold funds, never hold keys, and can't initiate anything.
I'm on my phone right now. Can I do this?
Yes — open coshpay.com inside your wallet app's built-in browser (Coinbase Wallet, MetaMask, and Phantom all have one; look for the browser or dapp tab). Desktop with a browser extension is the roomier experience, but the phone flow works end-to-end today.
What if I send to a wrong address?
On-chain transfers are irreversible — there is no undo, which is exactly why the checkout validates the format, saves your confirmed address, and makes you tick a confirmation the first time. Copy the address directly from the Coinbase app, never retype it, and for a first run consider a small test amount. That's not us covering ourselves; it's how everyone who handles crypto for a living behaves.
Setting one up safely (once, ~5 minutes)
- Type the wallet's official site yourself (coinbase.com/wallet, metamask.io, rabby.io, phantom.com) — never install from an ad or a link someone sent you. On the store listing, check the publisher owns the official domain and the install count is in the millions.
- Create a new wallet and set the device password (that's just a local lock).
- Write the 12-word phrase on paper. Paper, drawer, done. No screenshots, no cloud, no exceptions.
- That's it. Come back, run your comparison, and the checkout's Connect button will find it.
First time moving real money through any new flow? Do a small test amount first. We give the same advice about ourselves — that's what the receipts culture means.