What is a memo or destination tag and when do I have to fill it in

07 September 2026

A memo (sometimes called a destination tag or payment ID) is an extra identifier you must include when sending certain cryptocurrencies to an exchange or swap service. Without it, the exchanger cannot tell your deposit apart from someone else's, and your transaction may be lost or delayed.

Why memos exist

Some blockchains - most notably Stellar (XLM), Ripple (XRP), and some Binance Chain (BNB) tokens - allow many users to share a single deposit address. The exchange gives each customer the same address but assigns each a unique memo. When you send coins, you include that memo in your transaction. The exchange reads the memo on the blockchain to credit the right account.

Think of it as an apartment building. The deposit address is the building's street address. The memo is the apartment number. Mail addressed to the building without an apartment number sits in a pile, unclaimed.

When you must fill one in

You must fill in a memo whenever the swap site or exchange tells you to. This is not optional. The instruction typically appears in the same place as the deposit address, often in a labelled field called "Memo," "Destination Tag," or "Payment ID."

The site will usually warn you explicitly: "Include this memo" or "Do not forget the destination tag." If you see that warning, treat it as mandatory.

Some tokens always require a memo when sent to an exchange - XLM and XRP are the most common. Others, like Ethereum-based tokens (ERC-20), never need one because each deposit gets its own unique address. Solana tokens vary by service; some use memos, others assign unique addresses.

What happens if you forget it

Forgetting the memo is a common mistake. The coins arrive at the exchange's address but remain uncredited to your account. The exchange sees a deposit with no memo and has to manually investigate whose it is.

Recovery is usually possible but slow. You will need to contact the exchange's support team, provide the transaction hash and your account details, and wait. Some services charge a fee for manual recovery. In rare cases, if the exchange cannot identify the sender, the funds may be lost permanently.

How to avoid mistakes

When the swap site displays a deposit address, look for a second field labelled "Memo," "Tag," or "ID." If that field exists, copy the value exactly. Paste it into the memo field of your wallet's send screen, not into the address field.

If your wallet has no separate memo field, look for a "memo" or "note" box. Some wallets hide it under an "advanced" option. Do not proceed until you have entered both the address and the memo.

Relation to swapping tokens on pumpfun

When you follow the process to swap your first token on pumpfun, the site will show you a deposit address and, if the token you are sending requires one, a memo. The page explaining how that deposit address works covers why you get a shared address instead of a unique one. The memo is the piece that makes that shared address functional.

If the swap site does not show a memo field, you are likely sending a token that does not need one. Do not invent a memo or reuse one from a previous transaction; that will cause a different kind of error.

The simplest rule

If the swap site gives you both an address and a memo, fill in both. If it gives you only an address, leave the memo blank. Never guess. If you are unsure, pause and ask support before sending. A few minutes of checking costs nothing compared to losing a deposit.

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