<p>Spending money from a paper wallet is the hardest part. Making the wallets themselves is easy but spending the coins is harder than it should be. Here's a guide on how to do it safely:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Create a NEW wallet on blockchain.info. Keep in mind that you will only use this wallet for the express purpose of emptying your paper wallet. You will not reuse the paper wallet and you will not reuse the blockchain.info wallet.</p></li>
<li><p>Log into your blockchain.info wallet and go to Import/Export. You will get a warning about advanced usage. Agree to that to make it go away.</p></li>
<li><p>Use the import private key option or the scan with webcam option to import your paper wallet private key. </p></li>
<li><p>Once you've done the import you <em>must</em> spend the entire balance. Send what you need to an address owned by the other person and the rest to an address on your desktop client. Don't keep any balance in your blockchain.info wallet.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>You might ask why go through the trouble to do all this. That is because sometimes if you import a private key it might be reused by the wallet app/web service and change is sent back to it. You want to avoid that because if you assume you've spent all the coins in the private key and then you make the private key public and change is sent to it somebody could steal your coins. So to avoid all that you import into a temporary blockchain.info wallet and spend all the coins in one go.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-15T04:38:52.127Z
I don't see an import / export option on blockchain.info. Perhaps they took it out.
Andrew Cheong
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-15T04:40:38.597Z
Never mind, found it. You now have to go to Settings > Addresses > Import Addresses.
Andrew Cheong
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-18T16:41:15.887Z
why you "make the private key public"? and why not leave some money on blockchain.info?
Alexan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-19T20:14:11.140Z
@alexan because people make mistakes. If you believe a certain bitcoin wallet is empty you won't care to secure it and it might be compromised. However, I wrote this in 2013 and a lot has changed since then. Lots of software wallets like electrum no support sweeping private keys. Sweeping is a safe and easy way to spend from your paper wallet.
Abdussamad
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-01T11:40:14.587Z
2013-12-01T11:40:14.587Z
Abdussamad
<p>First you will need to import the paper wallet private key (the secret part) into a software wallet.</p>

<p>With <a href="https://wallet.mycelium.com/contact.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MyCelium</a> (Android/iOS):</p>

<ol>
<li>Select the <strong>Accounts</strong> tab.</li>
<li>Tap the three dots menu and pick <strong>Cold Storage</strong>.</li>
<li>Tap <strong>QR Code</strong> and scan the paper wallet private key.</li>
</ol>

<p>With the Blockain.info app (<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=piuk.blockchain.android" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Android</a>, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blockchain-bitcoin-wallet/id493253309" rel="nofollow noreferrer">IOS</a>):</p>

<ol>
<li>On the sidemenu tap <strong>Addresses</strong>:</li>
<li>Tap the <strong>Add</strong> button (<kbd>+</kbd>).</li>
<li>Select <strong>Import Address</strong> and scan the QR Code of the private key.</li>
</ol>

<blockquote>
  <p>❌ <strong><em>Important</em></strong>: Once the coins are moved from the paper wallet to your software wallet, make sure you never ever use the paper wallet address again, on purpose or by accident. <strong>Don't</strong> try to only transfer part of the funds from the paper wallet — most likely you'll lose the rest (most wallets don't allow partial transfers anyway).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Once you have transferred the assets from the paper wallet to your software wallet, funds can be transferred to/from another person using the Send/Receive options in the app. </p>

<p>Keep in mind that if you are using an offline wallet such as MyCelium then the damage or loss of device will result in losing the coins, unless you backed up the seed and stored it in a safe place. Same applies to online wallets, such as blockchain.info: if you forgot your password and didn't export your secret seed, then the funds will be irrecoverably lost.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-07T05:49:02.163Z
2017-06-09T16:45:31.543Z
2017-06-09T16:45:31.543Z
ccpizza
<ol>
<li>Find a service you like that will generate one for you, or do it yourself. A paper wallet is just the private and public key for an address printed together. Some clients and other software will generate these for you to simply write down. Others will present the keys in a fancier fashion, often with QR codes that can be scanned to import the wallet into wallet software. Two services that I'm aware of that do this are <a href="https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com/" rel="nofollow">Bitcoin Paper Wallet</a> and <a href="https://safepaperwallet.com/" rel="nofollow">Safe Paper Wallet</a>, but I can't vouch for either.</li>
<li>If you're planning on depositing a large amount of bitcoins to the wallet, make sure to follow some basic security guidelines. Bitcoin Paper Wallet has some good ones outlined on their site. Keep in mind that anybody who knows the private key can access the bitcoins stored in it as their own now or at any time in the future. It's important that only you and the recipient are aware of what the private key is (any maybe not even you!)</li>
<li>Print off the wallet and cut it out. Or just write down the public and private key pairs if you're going that route.</li>
<li>Make sure to conceal the private key well so that it cannot be read by holding it up to a light. Also it's prudent to protect it against moisture, especially if it was printed on an inkjet printer. Placing the paper in a plastic bag is a good method.</li>
<li>Finally, just send bitcoins to the wallet's address to load it up. Only someone with the private key printed (and concealed) on the wallet will be able to send them anywhere.</li>
</ol>

<p>Keep in mind that whoever you're sending the money to should send the entire contents of the wallet to their own wallet when they open it, not just a part of it. They could potentially lose some of the balance if they only transfer a part of the balance off the paper wallet.</p>

<p>Finally, I wouldn't recommend sending too much money this way, especially by mail. The safest way to give bitcoins to someone is via the Bitcoin network!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-01T11:27:07.177Z
He asked about spending the coins not how to make a paper wallet in the first place.
Abdussamad
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-07T00:25:27.897Z
@Abdussamad Sorry, not to my reading. It was ambiguously worded...
Alan Hensley
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-01T06:48:37.243Z
2013-12-01T06:48:37.243Z
Alan Hensley
<p>You need to import the private key that is on the paper to a wallet on your computer. Most wallets have a feature to do this. For example, you can import the key into a blockchain.info wallet and then you can send the coins normally.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-01T07:43:38.753Z
2013-12-01T07:43:38.753Z
Meni Rosenfeld
<p>I'm new to bitcoin.
Can you tell me step by step how do I send Bitcoin in paper wallet to other person.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-01T07:43:49.013Z
hand them the paper wallet
Mark S.
<transactions>
How do I send Bitcoin in paper wallet to other person?
user9777
# How do I send Bitcoin in paper wallet to other person?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-01)

I'm new to bitcoin.
Can you tell me step by step how do I send Bitcoin in paper wallet to other person.

Thank you!

**Tags:** transactions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: hand them the paper wallet  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-01. Score: 24

Spending money from a paper wallet is the hardest part. Making the wallets themselves is easy but spending the coins is harder than it should be. Here's a guide on how to do it safely:

* Create a NEW wallet on blockchain.info. Keep in mind that you will only use this wallet for the express purpose of emptying your paper wallet. You will not reuse the paper wallet and you will not reuse the blockchain.info wallet.
* Log into your blockchain.info wallet and go to Import/Export. You will get a warning about advanced usage. Agree to that to make it go away.
* Use the import private key option or the scan with webcam option to import your paper wallet private key.
* Once you've done the import you *must* spend the entire balance. Send what you need to an address owned by the other person and the rest to an address on your desktop client. Don't keep any balance in your blockchain.info wallet.

You might ask why go through the trouble to do all this. That is because sometimes if you import a private key it might be reused by the wallet app/web service and change is sent back to it. You want to avoid that because if you assume you've spent all the coins in the private key and then you make the private key public and change is sent to it somebody could steal your coins. So to avoid all that you import into a temporary blockchain.info wallet and spend all the coins in one go.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I don't see an import / export option on blockchain.info. Perhaps they took it out.  
> **username_3**: Never mind, found it. You now have to go to Settings > Addresses > Import Addresses.  
> **username_4**: why you "make the private key public"? and why not leave some money on blockchain.info?  
> **username_2**: @username_4 because people make mistakes. If you believe a certain bitcoin wallet is empty you won't care to secure it and it might be compromised. However, I wrote this in 2013 and a lot has changed since then. Lots of software wallets like electrum no support sweeping private keys. Sweeping is a safe and easy way to spend from your paper wallet.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2016-07-07. Score: 3

First you will need to import the paper wallet private key (the secret part) into a software wallet.

With [MyCelium](https://wallet.mycelium.com/contact.html) (Android/iOS):

1. Select the **Accounts** tab.
2. Tap the three dots menu and pick **Cold Storage**.
3. Tap **QR Code** and scan the paper wallet private key.

With the Blockain.info app ([Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=piuk.blockchain.android), [IOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blockchain-bitcoin-wallet/id493253309)):

1. On the sidemenu tap **Addresses**:
2. Tap the **Add** button (`+`).
3. Select **Import Address** and scan the QR Code of the private key.

> ❌ ***Important***: Once the coins are moved from the paper wallet to your software wallet, make sure you never ever use the paper wallet address again, on purpose or by accident. **Don't** try to only transfer part of the funds from the paper wallet — most likely you'll lose the rest (most wallets don't allow partial transfers anyway).

Once you have transferred the assets from the paper wallet to your software wallet, funds can be transferred to/from another person using the Send/Receive options in the app.

Keep in mind that if you are using an offline wallet such as MyCelium then the damage or loss of device will result in losing the coins, unless you backed up the seed and stored it in a safe place. Same applies to online wallets, such as blockchain.info: if you forgot your password and didn't export your secret seed, then the funds will be irrecoverably lost.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2013-12-01. Score: 0

1. Find a service you like that will generate one for you, or do it yourself. A paper wallet is just the private and public key for an address printed together. Some clients and other software will generate these for you to simply write down. Others will present the keys in a fancier fashion, often with QR codes that can be scanned to import the wallet into wallet software. Two services that I'm aware of that do this are [Bitcoin Paper Wallet](https://bitcoinpaperwallet.com/) and [Safe Paper Wallet](https://safepaperwallet.com/), but I can't vouch for either.
2. If you're planning on depositing a large amount of bitcoins to the wallet, make sure to follow some basic security guidelines. Bitcoin Paper Wallet has some good ones outlined on their site. Keep in mind that anybody who knows the private key can access the bitcoins stored in it as their own now or at any time in the future. It's important that only you and the recipient are aware of what the private key is (any maybe not even you!)
3. Print off the wallet and cut it out. Or just write down the public and private key pairs if you're going that route.
4. Make sure to conceal the private key well so that it cannot be read by holding it up to a light. Also it's prudent to protect it against moisture, especially if it was printed on an inkjet printer. Placing the paper in a plastic bag is a good method.
5. Finally, just send bitcoins to the wallet's address to load it up. Only someone with the private key printed (and concealed) on the wallet will be able to send them anywhere.

Keep in mind that whoever you're sending the money to should send the entire contents of the wallet to their own wallet when they open it, not just a part of it. They could potentially lose some of the balance if they only transfer a part of the balance off the paper wallet.

Finally, I wouldn't recommend sending too much money this way, especially by mail. The safest way to give bitcoins to someone is via the Bitcoin network!

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: He asked about spending the coins not how to make a paper wallet in the first place.  
> **username_6**: @username_2 Sorry, not to my reading. It was ambiguously worded...  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2013-12-01. Score: 0

You need to import the private key that is on the paper to a wallet on your computer. Most wallets have a feature to do this. For example, you can import the key into a blockchain.info wallet and then you can send the coins normally.


---

