Asked to pay by bank transfer, crypto or gift card?
How a seller asks you to pay tells you a lot. Card payments can be disputed. Bank transfers, crypto, money transfer services and gift cards are hard or impossible to reverse, which is why scammers prefer them.
Short answer. A shop that accepts only bank transfer, crypto, a money transfer service, a payment app or gift cards is a warning sign. Pay by card or through a service with a dispute process. If you already paid, contact your bank, card provider, payment app or gift card issuer at once, and ignore anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee. Run the checks on an address or a message.
Why the way to pay matters
The US Federal Trade Commission says: "Never pay someone who insists that you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app, or a gift card" (FTC, read 29 October 2026).
The reason is the way back. A card payment can be disputed through your card provider. A bank transfer, a crypto payment or a gift card number usually cannot be pulled back once the money has moved on, and the FTC notes that "Cryptocurrency payments don't have the same legal protections as credit and debit cards do" (FTC, read 29 October 2026).
The rules differ by country. Instant bank payments such as UPI in India, Interac e-Transfer in Canada, PayID in Australia and Zelle in the US are quick and normal between people you know, and hard to reverse when you pay a stranger.
What our payment check looks for
On the pages it reads, our checker lists the payment methods a site mentions. On a site that sells, it grades as a warning sign a site that mentions only bank transfer (including instant bank payments), crypto, a money transfer service, a payment app or gift cards, and no card, PayPal or cash on delivery.
Normal causes. Some small sellers, charities and trades take only bank transfer to avoid card fees. A site that sells nothing and lists bank details for donations or invoices is graded as worth knowing.
What it cannot see. The checkout itself. Card logos in a footer do not prove that a working card checkout exists. If a shop asks for a transfer at checkout although it shows card logos, treat that as the same warning sign.
If you already paid
Act at once. The sooner you call, the more chance there is to stop the money. The FTC's advice by method (FTC, read 29 October 2026):
- Card: report it to your card issuer or bank and ask for the payment to be reversed.
- Bank transfer: report it to your bank and ask them to reverse the payment.
- Money transfer service (such as Western Union or MoneyGram): "Report it to the wire transfer company immediately."
- Gift card: "Contact the gift card issuer immediately. Use the number on the back of the card." Keep the card and the receipt.
- Payment app: report it to the app and ask for the payment to be reversed.
- Crypto: contact the exchange or the crypto ATM's operator.
In the UK, Citizens Advice says that for a bank transfer made on or after 7 October 2024, your bank "should usually refund you if you sent the money to a UK account by either Faster Payments or CHAPS", and that it is unlikely you will get your money back if you paid with vouchers or gift cards (Citizens Advice, read 29 October 2026). Then report the scam where you live: Who to tell, by country.
Beware of recovery offers
After a scam, people are often contacted by someone who offers to recover their money for a fee. The FTC says: "Never pay upfront for a refund or help with a refund", and that real government agencies and organisations "will never ask for money to help you get a refund" (FTC, read 29 October 2026). This is a second scam, often run by the same people.
Where a product helps
No product protects a payment once it is made. What helps is choosing how you pay before you buy:
- Pay a shop you do not know by card, or through a service with a dispute process.
- Ask your card provider what protection your card gives. Protection differs between credit and debit cards, and between countries.
- Some banks and cards offer single-use or spending-limited card numbers for online shopping, which limit what a fake shop can take.
About this guide
Our checks that this guide explains: Payment methods. Each quote was read on the source's own page on the date shown. Legit Signals has no affiliate links: no company pays to be named here.
Last reviewed: 29 October 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us