To send Zcash (ZEC), use a wallet that supports the recipient’s address format, enter the address and amount, review the wallet’s privacy warning and transaction details, then confirm. The address type matters: transparent activity is public, while a shielded-to-shielded transfer hides the sender, recipient, and amount from public observers—but not the fee.
Before you send: identify the address and check wallet support
Get the recipient address directly from the person or service you intend to pay. Zcash addresses can be transparent, shielded, or Unified Addresses. A wallet may not support every format, so check its current documentation if you are unsure. If it rejects a shielded address, that does not by itself mean the address is invalid; the wallet may lack the capability to send to it. Ask the recipient for an address format your wallet supports, or use a compatible wallet. Zcash’s wallet UX checklist says applications should make unsupported shielded-address handling clear.
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How to send ZEC
Wallet interfaces differ, so there is no universal button sequence. Follow the current instructions for your wallet and use this general check-before-confirming workflow:
- Open a wallet that supports the recipient’s address type. Confirm shielded-send support if the address is shielded or Unified.
- Enter the recipient address. Scan its QR code or paste it, then compare the address shown by the wallet with the one the recipient provided.
- Enter the amount. Check the denomination and ensure it is the amount you intend to send.
- Review the transaction details and privacy warning. Check the destination, amount, and any fee displayed. Pay particular attention to a warning about a transparent address, especially before sending from a shielded address to a transparent one.
- Confirm only when the details are correct. If the wallet rejects the address or the warning is unclear, stop and check wallet support rather than trying to work around the message.
What each address combination reveals
Transparent addresses (often called legacy or “t”-style addresses) do not provide transaction privacy. The cited Zcash guidance says a transaction involving a transparent address posts details of the transparent address and amount publicly on the blockchain. Shielding funds does not erase information already visible on the transparent side.
| Transfer | What public observers can see | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent to transparent | Address and transaction values are public. | This is not a private transfer. |
| Transparent to shielded | The transparent sending side is visible; the shielded receipt is protected. | Value moves into a shielded pool, but the transparent sending information remains public. |
| Shielded to transparent | Information becomes visible at the transparent receiving end. | Review the wallet’s warning before confirming. |
| Shielded to shielded | Sender, recipient, and amount are concealed from public observers; transaction fees remain visible. | This offers the strongest on-chain privacy among these combinations, but it does not conceal fees or guarantee total anonymity. |
These distinctions are described in Zcash’s address and value-pool documentation and its wallet UX checklist.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sending to a Unified Address
A Unified Address can contain multiple receiver types, allowing compatible wallets to use a receiver they support. In general, you paste or scan the Unified Address as supplied; you do not manually choose among its hidden components. Under active ZIP 316, a sender selects the most preferred receiver type it supports from those present. The defined preference order is Orchard, then Sapling, then transparent, subject to the sender wallet’s capabilities. See ZIP 316 for the rule and specification details.
ZIP 316 Revision 2 is a draft proposal for visibly distinct zu shielded-only and tu transparent-enabled forms; the original Unified Address revision uses u. Do not assume every wallet or service supports every variant. Zcash’s explainer describes a Unified Address as “a single address that works across all Zcash pools, transparent and shielded.” Check the explainer and the wallet’s own compatibility guidance for the address you received.
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For longer-term storage, ZIP 315 recommends holding funds shielded and auto-shielding transparent funds by default when wallet support permits. This is a wallet best-practice recommendation, not a claim that every wallet implements auto-shielding. See ZIP 315.
Using a fresh transparent address for each payment should not be treated as meaningful privacy: Zcash’s wallet checklist cautions that this can create a false sense of privacy. Choose a shielded flow when you need the protections of shielded transactions and the wallet supports it; read any warning about transparent inputs or recipients before proceeding.
Quick Recap
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