USDC Payout Guide

PerkProof lets you reward loyalty members with real US dollars — not points that expire or gift cards they forget. This guide explains exactly how to fund your reward wallet and keep payouts running smoothly.

What is USDC? USDC (USD Coin) is a stablecoin — a digital currency always worth exactly $1.00 USD. It's issued by Circle, backed by real dollar reserves, and runs on the Polygon blockchain. When a member earns a USDC reward, they receive actual dollars they own outright.

What Your Wallet Needs: Two Balances

Your payout wallet requires two separate balances. Both must be above zero for payouts to process:

① USDC — The Reward Pool

This is the actual money your customers receive. Every time a member hits their reward milestone, this amount is deducted from your pool and sent directly to their wallet.

  • 1 USDC = $1.00, always
  • Suggested starting amount: $50–$200
  • Top up whenever you like from the dashboard
② MATIC — Gas Fees

MATIC is the Polygon network's fee token — it pays the tiny cost to submit each transaction to the blockchain. It is not paid to your customers.

  • ~$0.001 per transaction
  • Suggested starting amount: $2–$5 worth
  • Lasts thousands of payout transactions

What Happens if MATIC Runs Out?

This is the most common funding mistake. If your USDC balance is fully funded but your MATIC balance hits zero:

  • Your USDC sits in the wallet untouched — it does not move
  • When a member tries to claim a payout, the system submits a transaction to Polygon
  • That transaction immediately fails with an “insufficient gas” error
  • The member sees an error, the payout doesn't go through, and nothing is sent

Both balances are required. The MATIC balance card on your dashboard is your early warning system — keep an eye on it and top it up before it reaches zero. Because MATIC costs so little per transaction, even $5 worth will last most businesses several months.

Important — Polygon network only: Always send USDC and MATIC on the Polygon network (chain ID 137). Do not send on Ethereum mainnet. Funds sent to the wrong network will not appear in your wallet and may be unrecoverable.

Step-by-Step: How to Fund Your Wallet

You can use MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet, or any Polygon-compatible wallet.

Step 1 — Find Your PerkProof Wallet Address

Go to Dashboard → Settings → Payout Wallet. Your wallet address is displayed there. Click Copy to copy it to your clipboard.

Step 2 — Switch to the Polygon Network in Your Wallet

Open MetaMask (or your wallet of choice). Switch the active network to Polygon. If Polygon is not listed, add it manually:

  • Network name: Polygon
  • Chain ID: 137
  • RPC URL: https://polygon-rpc.com
  • Currency symbol: MATIC
  • Block explorer: https://polygonscan.com

Step 3 — Send USDC to Your Wallet

In your wallet, select USDC on Polygon as the token and paste your PerkProof wallet address as the recipient. Send your starting amount (e.g. $100 USDC). Your USDC balance on the PerkProof dashboard will update automatically within about 10 seconds once the transaction confirms.

Step 4 — Send MATIC to the Same Address

Send 2–5 MATIC to the exact same wallet address. MATIC is the native currency of the Polygon network — you do not need to select a token, just send MATIC directly. This covers gas fees for thousands of future payout transactions.

Step 5 — Confirm Both Balances Show in Your Dashboard

Return to Settings → Payout Wallet. Both your USDC balance and MATIC balance should now show above zero. Payouts to your members will process automatically from this point on.

How Much Should I Fund?

Business SizeUSDC Starting AmountMATIC
Just starting out$50 USDC2 MATIC
Steady customer base$100–$200 USDC3–5 MATIC
High-volume location$250–$500 USDC5 MATIC
Tip: Think of USDC funding like stocking a gift card machine — you only pay when customers actually redeem. If a customer never hits the milestone, the USDC stays in your wallet. You can withdraw it at any time.

Member Experience

From a member's perspective, there is no blockchain complexity. They scan your QR code, earn points, and when they hit the milestone they tap Claim Reward. PerkProof handles the wallet creation and transaction automatically. The member receives a notification and sees their dollar balance — no MetaMask, no seed phrases required.

Monitoring Your Wallet

  • USDC balance — visible on your dashboard in real time
  • MATIC balance — shown separately; triggers a warning when low
  • Low balance email alerts — configure a threshold in settings to get notified before you run out
  • Payout history — every transaction is logged with member name, amount, and a Polygonscan link

Troubleshooting

Payout failed — “insufficient gas”

Your MATIC balance is zero or too low. Send 2–5 MATIC to your payout wallet address on Polygon.

Payout failed — “insufficient balance”

Your USDC pool is empty or below the payout amount. Top up your USDC balance.

Balance not updating after sending funds

Confirm the transaction was sent on Polygon (not Ethereum mainnet). Balances update within ~30 seconds of on-chain confirmation.

Member can't claim their payout

Check that the member has reached the milestone point threshold, and that both your USDC and MATIC balances are above zero.

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