Which crypto should you use for gift cards? 2026 comparison

Three criteria dominate: (1) the network fees paid for the transfer, (2) confirmation speed (which determines when you get the code), (3) the price stability between the order and the payment (volatility).

A fourth: the crypto you actually hold. Targeting USDT TRC-20 is pointless if you only have ETH; conversion fees would wipe out the benefit.

1. USDT (TRC-20) — fees < €0.01, 3s confirmation, stable. Best choice for 90% of users.

2. Lightning Network (BTC) — fees < €0.01, < 5s confirmation, Bitcoin volatility but very short duration. Ideal for Bitcoin purists.

3. Solana (SOL or USDC on Solana) — fees ~€0.01, < 2s confirmation, SOL volatility or stable in USDC. Great trade-off if you already use Solana.

4. TON — fees €0.01, 5s confirmation. Growing fast in 2026 thanks to Telegram.

5. TRX (TRON) — fees €0.001, 3s confirmation. Useful if you already hold TRX.

6. USDC (Polygon) — fees €0.01, stable. Good fit for Polygon users.

7. BNB Smart Chain — fees €0.05, 3s confirmation. Acceptable.

8. Bitcoin on-chain — fees €0.50 to €5, 10-30 min confirmation. OK for large amounts if Lightning isn't an option.

9. Litecoin (LTC) — fees €0.02, 2.5 min confirmation. Nice, but less universal.

10. Dogecoin (DOGE) — fees €0.02, 1 min confirmation. Sure, if you have Doge to spend.

11. Ethereum (ERC-20) — fees €1 to €5, 15s confirmation. Disastrous for cards under €50.

12. USDT/USDC ERC-20 — same fees as ETH. Prefer TRON or Solana for stablecoins.

Best simplicity/cost ratio: USDT TRC-20. Bitcoin purist: Lightning. Solana native: USDC on Solana. For everything else, pick based on what you already hold.