Sending bitcoin is as easy as copying and pasting someone else’s address, choosing an amount, and clicking send. This may seem backwards to people used to supplying credit card information to purchase things online, but this method allows the sender to be in complete control of the payment process. Transactions are also irreversible. Essentially, sending a bitcoin is a lot like sending an email. You put in someone else’s address and there’s no going back after you hit send.

Don’t worry if it takes a few minutes for the recipient to see the payment that you have made. Depending on the network and on the wallet applications the two parties are using, it can take up to ten minutes for the first confirmation of the transaction. Some services require six confirmations (which can take about an hour) before they recognize the transaction.