<p>Actually, most transactions you see will have two recipient addresses. One is for the actual transaction and the other one is <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Change">change</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>When the output of a transaction is used as the input of another
  transaction, it must be spent in its entirety. Sometimes the coin
  value of the output is higher than what the user wishes to pay. In
  this case, the client generates a new Bitcoin address, and sends the
  difference back to this address. This is known as change.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>But you can also add any number of recipients to a transaction so you'll find transactions with 20 or 50 receiving addresses too if you look around. In Bitcoin-Qt simply click "Add Recipient" on the "Send coins" tab.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-02T17:10:33.703Z
Just to be sure: that means if I expect to receive 5 BTC on one specific address and a person sends 5 BTC to this address, I will see in the transaction's "out" part exactly 5 BTC with my specific address? And I can ignore all other addresses if they appear on the list?
storyteller
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-02T17:29:22.823Z
Yes, that's right.
D.H.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-02T16:52:44.570Z
2012-09-02T16:52:44.570Z
D.H.
<p>I see a lot of transactions which have more than one recipient address.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<ol>
<li><a href="https://blockchain.info/tx-index/fce11cf87af6ee388c3a693dcc13a1e80b79e35029c347078d9ba4f07939ec83">Transaction 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://blockchain.info/tx-index/33175062ebe632822c195b811814bd43c0b12ca382a79f06ef692a03bd13bf7f">Transaction 2</a></li>
</ol>

<p>Edit #1:
I just saw a tag call <strong>multi-sig-transactions</strong>. It is obviously what I am asking for. </p>

<p>I did not see in the clients before. How come that there are so many of them?</p>

<p>Edit #2:
After reading little bit about multi-sig-transactions I am not really sure that these transactions are these multi-sigs. This opinion is not based on real knowledge but just on such a great number of these transactions in every block. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-02T18:48:44.510Z
Your title also applies to a transaction where you are simply paying two or more parties independently, but from  the same transaction.  You don't need Multi-sig for that, and Multi-sig is better described as a payment that can require more than one SENDER before it becomes valid.
Stephen Gornick
<transactions><address><receiving>
How can a transaction have more than one recipient address?
storyteller
# How can a transaction have more than one recipient address?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-02)

I see a lot of transactions which have more than one recipient address.

Examples:

1. [Transaction 1](https://blockchain.info/tx-index/fce11cf87af6ee388c3a693dcc13a1e80b79e35029c347078d9ba4f07939ec83)
2. [Transaction 2](https://blockchain.info/tx-index/33175062ebe632822c195b811814bd43c0b12ca382a79f06ef692a03bd13bf7f)

Edit #1:
I just saw a tag call **multi-sig-transactions**. It is obviously what I am asking for.

I did not see in the clients before. How come that there are so many of them?

Edit #2:
After reading little bit about multi-sig-transactions I am not really sure that these transactions are these multi-sigs. This opinion is not based on real knowledge but just on such a great number of these transactions in every block.

**Tags:** transactions, address, receiving

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Your title also applies to a transaction where you are simply paying two or more parties independently, but from  the same transaction.  You don't need Multi-sig for that, and Multi-sig is better described as a payment that can require more than one SENDER before it becomes valid.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-09-02. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Actually, most transactions you see will have two recipient addresses. One is for the actual transaction and the other one is [change](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Change).

> When the output of a transaction is used as the input of another
> transaction, it must be spent in its entirety. Sometimes the coin
> value of the output is higher than what the user wishes to pay. In
> this case, the client generates a new Bitcoin address, and sends the
> difference back to this address. This is known as change.

But you can also add any number of recipients to a transaction so you'll find transactions with 20 or 50 receiving addresses too if you look around. In Bitcoin-Qt simply click "Add Recipient" on the "Send coins" tab.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Just to be sure: that means if I expect to receive 5 BTC on one specific address and a person sends 5 BTC to this address, I will see in the transaction's "out" part exactly 5 BTC with my specific address? And I can ignore all other addresses if they appear on the list?  
> **username_2**: Yes, that's right.  

---

