<p>No, you can't prevent people from paying any particular address even if you control that address.  This is a known problem: it would be very nice to have an address that can only be paid once.</p>

<p>Something like <a href="http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.bitcoin.devel/1996">P2SH^2</a> could help with this, although it would not provide a perfect one-time-only property.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T14:38:50.240Z
2015-01-08T14:38:50.240Z
David A. Harding
<p>No.  At present this is not possible.  Any one can create a transaction to transfer currency to any valid address.  The transaction will be accepted by the network as long as it is valid.</p>

<p>It could be achieved by a collusion of the majority of the hashing power in the network, if the colluders allow/deny transactions that meet criteria of their choosing, which can include transfers to specific addresses.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T14:53:25.773Z
Thanks everyone...seems like the only way to do this is to keep the address a secret and have an intervening authority.
Austin Fatheree
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T14:55:02.083Z
Am I wrong in assuming that you can at least figure this out in hind sight by looking at the block chain?  In other words, if I want to make sure a wallet isn't paid from an undesired address, and I know all the desired addresses, I can send the money back/flag the account/etc?
Austin Fatheree
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T16:02:21.230Z
Sure; while you can't prevent an unwanted transaction from occurring, you could devise a strategy to counteract it in some way that makes sense to you.  If you refund, be aware that you'll then have multiple sends from a single address; make sure your wallet implements [RFC 6979](https://tools.ietf.org/rfc/rfc6979.txt) to minimize the chance of exposing the private key of the address.  Also, if you have an automated process like a refund, can I grief your service in some way by repeatedly sending unwanted transactions to your address?
Chuck Batson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T16:09:18.500Z
Also, you won't be able to keep an address secret. Once it has been involved in a transaction, it's public.
Chuck Batson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-08T14:39:23.343Z
2015-01-08T14:39:23.343Z
Chuck Batson
<p>Once my public wallet address is known, is there anyway to deny payments to that wallet?</p>

<p>For example, if I want an external authority to regulate who can pay into a wallet, is that possible?  </p>

<p>I guess a related question is can I turn a wallet 'off' once it is in the block chain and known.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-13T22:29:33.350Z
This would have actually been very useful during the recent Bitstamp hack. They could only notify users not to deposit at the compromised address, but there was absolutely no way to prevent this.
QFDev
<transactions>
Can a wallet deny payments to it?
Austin Fatheree
# Can a wallet deny payments to it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-08)

Once my public wallet address is known, is there anyway to deny payments to that wallet?

For example, if I want an external authority to regulate who can pay into a wallet, is that possible?

I guess a related question is can I turn a wallet 'off' once it is in the block chain and known.

**Tags:** transactions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This would have actually been very useful during the recent Bitstamp hack. They could only notify users not to deposit at the compromised address, but there was absolutely no way to prevent this.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-01-08. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

No. At present this is not possible. Any one can create a transaction to transfer currency to any valid address. The transaction will be accepted by the network as long as it is valid.

It could be achieved by a collusion of the majority of the hashing power in the network, if the colluders allow/deny transactions that meet criteria of their choosing, which can include transfers to specific addresses.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks everyone...seems like the only way to do this is to keep the address a secret and have an intervening authority.  
> **username_0**: Am I wrong in assuming that you can at least figure this out in hind sight by looking at the block chain?  In other words, if I want to make sure a wallet isn't paid from an undesired address, and I know all the desired addresses, I can send the money back/flag the account/etc?  
> **username_3**: Sure; while you can't prevent an unwanted transaction from occurring, you could devise a strategy to counteract it in some way that makes sense to you.  If you refund, be aware that you'll then have multiple sends from a single address; make sure your wallet implements [RFC 6979](https://tools.ietf.org/rfc/rfc6979.txt) to minimize the chance of exposing the private key of the address.  Also, if you have an automated process like a refund, can I grief your service in some way by repeatedly sending unwanted transactions to your address?  
> **username_3**: Also, you won't be able to keep an address secret. Once it has been involved in a transaction, it's public.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-01-08. Score: 6

No, you can't prevent people from paying any particular address even if you control that address. This is a known problem: it would be very nice to have an address that can only be paid once.

Something like [P2SH^2](http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.comp.bitcoin.devel/1996) could help with this, although it would not provide a perfect one-time-only property.


---

