The first time they deposit certain coins, plenty of people get thrown by the extra field: I filled in the address, so why is there a "memo" or "tag" below it that I have to fill in too? Can't I just leave it blank?
This page makes the memo clear: what it's actually for, which coins and which addresses need it, what happens if you skip it or get it wrong, and how to get the right one. It's short, but each line can save you the trouble of money "stuck in transit, call support". A reminder up front: whether a memo is needed, and which string to enter, differs by platform and by coin — what actually counts is the clear instruction on the receiving platform's page at the time you deposit. This page covers the general principle only.
And the usual note: FiatPath is a third-party explainer, not Gate's official site, and there's no investment talk here.
What a memo/tag actually is
Start with the problem it solves. To keep things simple, some platforms have many users share one deposit address — so when money arrives, how do they know whose it is? The answer is the memo/tag: a string (numbers or letters) attached to the transfer as an identifier. When the platform receives the money, it uses that memo to credit it to the right user.
A loose but useful analogy: the deposit address is like the main street number of a large building, and the memo is like your room number. Deliver the parcel to the building (right address) but leave off the room number (the memo), and the mailroom doesn't know who to give it to. The memo goes by different names in different places — memo, tag, label, note — and they all mean the same thing.
Which cases need a memo
Not every coin needs one. The common cases that do are:
- Some coins by design: XRP and EOS, for example. The way these chains are built often uses a memo/tag to tell recipients apart, so watch for it when depositing these coins.
- An exchange's shared deposit address: some exchanges assign every user of a given coin the same address and tell them apart by memo. In that case the deposit page clearly asks for a memo.
- Anything the page explicitly says to fill in: at the end of the day, go by what the receiving side's page says. If it gives you an address and a memo/tag and marks the memo as required, you must fill it in.
Conversely, ordinary USDT transfers (on TRC20, ERC20, BEP20 and so on) usually don't need a memo. For how those chains differ, see TRC20, ERC20 and BEP20: what's the real difference and Which chain to withdraw USDT on.
If a memo was required but you left it out, or got it wrong, the most common result is: the money reaches the receiving platform's address, but the platform doesn't know who to credit it to, so it isn't credited automatically. This usually isn't lost coins — it's "money at the platform, not on your account" — and it often takes contacting the receiving platform's support, submitting the transaction hash (txid) and supporting proof, and having a human credit it manually. Whether and how fast it's recovered depends on the platform's policy, and is not guaranteed, nor necessarily fast. So the easiest path is always: before depositing, check whether a memo is needed, and if so, get it right the first time.
Check whether the address format fits the selected network. This is only a format hint; the recipient and platform pages remain the final reference.
How to find the right memo
The correct memo always comes from the receiving side, never something you make up:
- Go to the receiving platform's "Deposit" page. After you pick the coin and network, the page gives you both the deposit address and the matching memo/tag (if one is needed), usually each with its own "copy" button.
- Copy-paste both the address and the memo — don't leave either out. On the sending side, put the address in the address field and the memo in the memo/tag field, and don't swap which goes where.
- Re-check once before sending. Confirm the address is right, the memo is right, the network is right, then hit confirm. For a large amount, send a small test and confirm it's credited before sending the rest — a move that works for every transfer, for the reasons in Wrong chain or wrong address: can you get the coins back?
A few don'ts: don't make up a memo number; don't reuse a memo someone gave you on a different address; the memo for different coins on the same platform may differ, so copy it fresh each time.
FAQ
Does sending USDT need a memo?
Common USDT transfers (TRC20, ERC20, BEP20 and so on) generally don't need a memo. But if the receiving platform's page asks for a memo/tag alongside the USDT address, go by the page — if it's required, fill it in.
I forgot a required memo — are the coins lost?
Usually it's not lost coins, but money that reached the platform's address without being credited to you automatically. It typically takes contacting the receiving platform's support, providing the transaction hash and proof, and having a human credit it. Whether and how fast it's recovered depends on the platform's policy, and isn't guaranteed.
Can I just put any memo I like?
No. The memo must be the exact one from the receiving side's page — it's the identifier the platform uses to claim the money. A made-up memo means it can't be credited correctly.
What if I put the memo and address in each other's fields?
That makes the transfer details wrong, and it may fail to send or fail to credit. Always put the address in the address field and the memo in the memo/tag field, get the mapping straight, then send.
Sources and further reading: whether a memo is needed, and the exact value, follow the receiving platform's deposit page; for Gate, see the Gate Help Center; whether a transaction reached an address can be checked on the matching chain's block explorer (such as Tronscan). This is an independent third-party explainer, not investment advice.