June 3, 2026 · SendCryptoInvoice Team · 7 min
How to Lock Crypto Exchange Rates on Invoices
Protect yourself from BTC and ETH volatility by locking exchange rates on crypto invoices for 15 minutes to 24 hours. Free rate lock on SendCryptoInvoice.
You quote a client $1,000 for a project — payable in Bitcoin. You calculate 0.0095 BTC at today's price and send the invoice. By the time they pay six hours later, BTC dropped 4%. You receive $960 worth of Bitcoin instead of $1,000. This happens to freelancers every day. Rate locking solves it. SendCryptoInvoice lets you freeze the crypto amount for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 24 hours. Here's how it works and when to use each duration.
What Is Crypto Rate Locking?
Rate locking means the crypto amount on your invoice stays fixed for a set period, regardless of market movement. If you lock 500 USDT for 1 hour, the client must send exactly 500 USDT — not 497 because the peg fluctuated, and not a different BTC amount because the price moved. For volatile assets like BTC and ETH, this is essential. For stablecoins, locking still prevents timing disputes.
How to Enable Rate Lock on SendCryptoInvoice
Go to the AI Invoice Generator, describe your invoice, and on the review step select a lock duration: 15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, or 24 hours. The invoice stores the locked rate and expiry timestamp. The payment page shows a countdown and displays "Rate Locked" while active. After expiry, the page shows the updated crypto amount based on current prices.
Choosing the Right Lock Duration
15 minutes: best for clients paying immediately while on a call or chat. 30 minutes: good for WhatsApp/Telegram payments where the client needs to open their exchange app. 1 hour: standard for email invoices during business hours. 24 hours: for enterprise clients with approval workflows — common for BTC and ETH where daily volatility can exceed 5%. For stablecoin invoices, 1 hour is usually enough.
Rate Lock vs Stablecoin Invoicing
If volatility is your main concern, invoicing in USDT or USDC eliminates most price risk without needing long lock windows. Use rate locking when the client specifically wants to pay in BTC or ETH. Combine both strategies: invoice in USDT for stability, lock for 30 minutes to prevent amount disputes.
Track Locked Invoices on Your Dashboard
The Invoice Dashboard shows lock status and expiry for all pending invoices. If a lock expires before payment, the AI Collection Agent can send an updated reminder with the new amount. Create your first rate-locked invoice on the Create Invoice page — it's free.