Frequently asked questions

How does it work?

ZecMarket is a board where people buy and sell goods and services for Zcash (ZEC). We connect buyers and sellers; the payment goes straight from the buyer's wallet to the seller's wallet.

1. Find a listing and check the seller: their reviews, how long they have been a member, and whether they carry a warning badge.
2. Place an order from the listing. The seller accepts or rejects it.
3. Once it is accepted, the order page shows the exact amount in ZEC, a memo and the seller's address, with a QR code and an "Open in wallet" link. Pay, then click "I have paid".
4. The seller checks the payment in their wallet and delivers. Both of you can then leave a review.

Does ZecMarket hold my money?

No, never. There is no deposit, no escrow and no wallet on our side, and we take no fee on sales. That also means we cannot refund a payment: once sent, it belongs to the seller. Read the safety tips below before paying anyone.

Why only shielded addresses?

Sellers receive on a unified address (starting with u1) that contains a shielded receiver. Payments to it do not show amounts, senders or receivers on the public blockchain. Transparent addresses (t1…) are refused.

How do I pay?

• Wait until the seller accepts the order: before that you do not even see their address.
• Pay exactly the amount shown, to the address shown, with the memo (ZB- followed by the order number): it is how the seller matches your payment to your order.
• Prices set in dollars, euros, pounds or francs are converted to ZEC when the seller accepts, at the market rate of that moment. The amount then stays fixed.
• An accepted order that is not paid within 72 hours expires.

"I have paid" is a declaration: ZecMarket does not see payments. The seller confirms by looking in their wallet.

Why do I need a PGP key?

PGP lets people write to each other without anyone else, including us, being able to read it. You need a public key on your account to post a listing, order or send a message.

• Messages are encrypted before they reach our server; we only store the encrypted text.
• When you order, you can add a note for the seller (for example your postal address). It must be encrypted with the seller's key: a note in clear text is refused.
• Without JavaScript, encryption is done in your own tool: GnuPG, Kleopatra or GPG Suite. Each conversation shows the command to use.

Never paste your private key anywhere on the site.

How do I stay safe?

• Only pay an accepted order, from its order page, with its memo. Never pay "outside" the site to get a discount.
• Check the seller's reviews and their account age. Be careful with a warning badge.
• Be wary of anyone who asks for payment to another address, rushes you, or wants to move the conversation elsewhere.
• For local trades, meet in a public place.
• Use the "Report" links on listings, profiles, orders and reviews when something looks wrong.

What happens in a dispute?

If something goes wrong after payment, the buyer or the seller can open a dispute from the order page. Moderators look at it and close it with a written outcome that both of you can read. Because payments go directly to the seller, moderators cannot refund anything: they can warn, remove listings and ban accounts.

What do you know about me?

As little as possible. An account needs a username and a password; email is optional. We do not use analytics or third-party services, nothing is loaded from other sites, and the site works without JavaScript. Addresses used to limit abuse are hashed with a salt that changes every day.

I forgot my password

If you added a PGP key, you can reset your password yourself by decrypting a code sent to your key. Otherwise, moderators can help if you added a recovery contact in your settings.