TOOL / DIAGRAM
Bitcoin ATM Receipt, Line by Line
A typical receipt carries a dozen or so lines. Four of them matter when something goes wrong. This labels each one and says what it is for.
Most people glance at that strip of paper and pocket it. Four lines on it can save you later, and two more let you work out what the transaction really cost.
The diagram below is a generic structure, not any operator's actual receipt. Layouts vary; fields are broadly similar.
The six, one at a time
1 · Order number
The operator's internal reference. It should be the first thing you quote to support, because without it they generally cannot locate your transaction. It is not the same as the on-chain transaction ID.
2 · Exchange rate
The most misread line. It is not the market rate — it is the price this machine will sell at, margin already included.
So don't use it as a baseline for calculating the fee; doing so only recovers the disclosed layer. To get the real cost, use point 3.
3 · Coins received
Divide the CASH IN figure by this number and you have what you actually paid per bitcoin. Compare that against the market price at the time, in the same currency, and the percentage difference is your total markup — fee and spread together.
Best done before confirming; the spread checker does the arithmetic. Doing it afterwards is still worthwhile, if only so the number is concrete.
4 · Receiving address
Check the first and last few characters against your own wallet. If they don't match, the coins went elsewhere, and there is no way to retrieve them.
5 · Transaction ID
The single most valuable line. With it you can look up the transfer on any public block explorer without contacting a soul.
How to read the states, and what actually warrants concern. If this line isn't printed, searching your own wallet address works just as well.
6 · Support contact
What's printed on the receipt is generally trustworthy. A label stuck on the machine's casing is not — fake support numbers get attached to genuine machines specifically to catch people mid-problem. Identify the brand, then find contact details on the operator's own site. The pattern is described here.
The unlabelled lines
- Terminal ID — identifies which machine; support will ask.
- Date and time — pairs with the order number, and lets you look up what the market was doing.
- Fee — the disclosed layer only.
- Network fee — paid to the bitcoin network, unrelated to the operator. Sometimes shown separately, sometimes rolled in.
- The QR code at the bottom — usually an order lookup or the operator's site. It is not a receiving address; never use it to send anything.
Keep the paper, but rely on the photo
Receipts are thermal printed and fade with heat and light, sometimes to blank within months. Photograph it at the machine, check every character of the transaction ID is legible, and store it somewhere that syncs. That photo contains your address and transaction ID — not secret, but don't post it publicly.
Common questions
Which line on a bitcoin ATM receipt matters most?
The transaction ID and the order number. The transaction ID lets you check on a public block explorer whether the coins were actually sent, without contacting anyone. The order number is what operator support uses to locate your transaction. After those, the receiving address, for confirming the coins went to your own wallet.
Is the exchange rate on the receipt the market rate?
No. It is the machine's own selling price with the operator's margin already built in, and it is normally higher than the real market price at that moment. Using it as a baseline to calculate what you paid will significantly understate the cost. Divide the cash amount by the coins received instead.
What is the QR code at the bottom of the receipt?
Usually a link to look up your order or to the operator's website. It is not a receiving address and should never be used to send funds. If anyone asks you to scan a code on the receipt or the machine in order to make a payment, that is a warning sign.
Can I look up the transaction if I lost the receipt?
Yes. Search your own wallet address on a public block explorer and every incoming transaction will appear. Most operators can also find an order using the phone number you verified with and the approximate time, and some send an SMS or email confirmation worth checking for.
The diagram is a generic illustration. Field names and ordering differ considerably between operators and it does not depict any particular company. Go by the receipt in your hand.