How Settle works
Cash out your crypto, person to person.
Settle is a market where people trade ETH for PayPal, Revolut, Zelle, bank transfers, gift cards and 32 other ways to pay. Buyers pay sellers directly; Settle holds the crypto in escrow until the seller confirms the payment. We're the middleman.
The seller pays a 1% fee on the ETH they sell. Buyers pay the price in the ad, nothing more.
01An ad goes up
Sellers post the price they want (a fixed price or the market price plus or minus a margin), their limits per trade and how they accept payment, and lock the ETH they want to sell in escrow. Buyers post ads too: how much they'll pay and with what.
02Someone answers it
Opening a trade fixes the price and the amount. On a sell ad the ETH is already in escrow; on a buy ad the seller locks it first, within 30 minutes. Nobody pays for crypto that isn't locked.
03The buyer pays the seller
Directly, with the method in the ad, within the payment window shown on the trade. Then they mark it as paid. Gift cards: the code goes in the trade chat.
04The ETH is released
The seller checks the money arrived and releases: the vault sends the ETH to the buyer's wallet. If they disagree, either side opens a dispute and Settle decides who gets the escrow.
Fees and limits
| Trade fee | 1% | Of the ETH sold, paid by the seller on top of the trade |
| Buying | Free | You pay the price in the ad |
| Withdrawing unused escrow | Free | Gas paid by Settle |
| Payment method fees | Theirs | Whatever PayPal, your bank or the card charges |
| Trade size | $10.00 – $5,000.00 | Each ad can set narrower limits |
| Time to pay | 15 – 60 min | Set by the ad; the trade cancels when it runs out |
| Time to lock escrow | 30 min | For sellers answering a buy ad |
Ways to pay
Staying safe
Release only on settled money
Check your own balance, not a screenshot. Pending is not paid.
Same name, same account
Ask for payment from an account in the buyer's name. Refuse third-party payments.
Keep it in the trade
Talk and share proof in the trade chat: it's what Settle reads in a dispute.
Gift cards: redeem first
Redeem or check the card's balance before you release, and keep the photo of the card and receipt.
FAQ
Who holds what?+
Settle never touches the dollars: buyers pay sellers directly. We hold the crypto, in an escrow vault on Robinhood Chain, from the moment a trade needs it until it is released or returned.
What if the buyer never pays?+
When the payment window runs out without the payment marked as sent, the trade cancels itself. The ETH stays in the seller's ad, or goes back to the seller's wallet for trades on buy ads.
What if the seller doesn't release?+
Open a dispute from the trade. The ETH can't move while Settle reviews the chat and your proof (receipts, screenshots, transaction IDs), then releases it to you or returns it to the seller.
Can someone reverse a payment after I release?+
Some can: card-funded PayPal payments, bank transfers and stolen gift cards are the usual risks. Release only once the money is settled in your own balance, prefer instant and irreversible methods, and ask for payment from an account in the buyer's name.
Which crypto can I trade?+
ETH on Robinhood Chain for now. Withdrawing your unused escrow is free: Settle pays the gas.
Do I have to trust Settle?+
Yes, as the middleman. The escrow vault only lets Settle's operator pay out, and every payout is a public onchain transaction with its own reference that can't be replayed. That is what lets two strangers trade safely: neither has to go first without a guarantee.
Do I need an account?+
Sign in with X to trade: your handle and your history are your reputation on the market. You also need a wallet on Robinhood Chain to lock or receive ETH.
Terms & risks
Settle provides the market and the escrow. Trades are between users; Settle is not a party to the payment between them and does not hold or transmit fiat money.
We may ask for identity verification, limit or refuse trades, and decide disputes on the evidence in the trade. Using a payment service to trade crypto may be restricted by its own terms; you are responsible for using it within them and for any taxes on your trades.
Crypto prices move fast and onchain transfers can't be undone. Settle is not affiliated with Robinhood or with any payment method shown. Nothing here is financial advice.