Binance P2P Buyer Marked Paid but No Money Received? What to Do
If a P2P buyer marked the order as paid but the money is not in your bank account, do not release the crypto. Check the receiving account yourself, then open an appeal and let the platform review the order.
Last updated
5 min read
Checked2026-10-20
Reviewed by czneo editors
Table of contents
The short answer: do not release the crypto until the payment is visible in your own bank or wallet account. “Marked as paid” only means the buyer pressed a button. The crypto stays in escrow while you check, and if the money still has not arrived, you open an appeal so the platform’s support team can review the order.
As a seller, the release button is the one decision you cannot take back. Everything below is about making that decision on facts rather than on pressure.
Why a buyer can mark paid when no money has arrived
Not every case is a scam. The most common explanations are:
- The transfer is genuinely still on its way. Some bank transfers, especially between different banks or outside business hours, take longer than the buyer expects.
- The buyer paid the wrong account or wrong amount. They may have used an old payment method from your profile or mistyped the amount.
- The buyer clicked “paid” before actually paying, intending to pay a moment later.
- The payment was sent and then reversed or held by the buyer’s bank or payment app.
- Deliberate fraud. The buyer sends an edited receipt, a “pending” screenshot, or a fake bank SMS or email and pushes you to release quickly.
You cannot tell these apart from the chat. You can only tell them apart from your own account statement, which is why that is the first check.
Step 1: Check the receiving account yourself
Open your banking app or online banking by typing the address yourself or using the app you normally use. Do not use any link the buyer sends.
- Check the exact account listed as the payment method in this order, not a different account you also own.
- Look for a credit that matches the amount, the buyer’s verified name shown on the order, and the time window.
- Treat “pending”, “processing” or “scheduled” entries as not received.
- Do not rely on a push notification, SMS or email alone. Those can be faked; your statement inside the bank app is the record that counts.
If you can see a completed credit from the same name for the same amount, the order is probably fine. If there is nothing, or the sender name is different, continue below.
Step 2: Ask the buyer neutrally in the order chat
Keep the conversation inside the P2P order chat so support can read it later. A short message is enough: “I have not received the payment in my account yet. Please confirm which account you sent it to and the time of the transfer.” Do not accuse, and do not agree to move the conversation to WhatsApp, Telegram or a phone call.
If the buyer replies with a screenshot, thank them and keep checking your own statement. A screenshot is a claim, not proof of settlement.
Step 3: Open an appeal
When the appeal option becomes available on the order page, open it rather than waiting until you feel rushed. In the Binance app, tap Help on the payment confirmation page and then Appeal; on OKX, open the order and select Need Help?. On Binance, the counterparty then has 10 minutes to respond; if they do not, the case moves to customer service review. If you cancel an appeal by mistake, Binance makes you wait 5 minutes before submitting it again. In the appeal, write facts only:
- Order number and expected amount
- The payment method and account the buyer should have paid into
- The time the buyer marked the order as paid
- That no matching credit is visible on your statement as of a specific time
- Any request from the buyer to release early, move off-platform or pay a different account
Attach evidence from your own bank covering the relevant period. If support asks for a bank statement, export the original PDF from your bank: Binance’s statement guidance says edited or cropped statements, and photos converted to PDF, are rejected. Do not alter anything on it.
If the money arrives after you opened the appeal
Check that it came from the buyer’s verified name and matches the amount. If it does, update the same appeal so support can see the full timeline, and follow their instructions on how to complete the order. If the money arrived from a different name, do not release; tell support in the same appeal and read our guide on third-party payments and chargeback risk.
When to contact your bank as well
Contact your bank through its official channel if a credit appears and then disappears, if you receive messages claiming to be from your bank asking for codes, or if the buyer sends a “refund” request to a new account. Keep all records; they may be needed later if your bank asks about the transfer. Our guide on exporting transaction records explains how to organise them.
Frequently asked questions
Can the buyer get my crypto if I never press release? In a normal escrow flow, the crypto is held by the platform and is released by the seller or according to the outcome of an appeal. Staying silent is not safe, though. Binance’s appeal rules say that if a buyer appeals and the seller does not contact customer service, it will be assumed the payment was received and support can release the crypto manually. Do not release while you are unsure, but do answer every appeal with your evidence.
The buyer sent a screenshot showing “transfer successful”. Is that enough? No. Screenshots can be edited, can show a different transaction, or can show a payment that was later cancelled. Only a completed credit on your own statement confirms payment.
How long should I wait before appealing? There is no single answer, because bank transfer times vary by bank and payment method; OKX notes that some methods take 1-3 business days to arrive. Use the order timer and the appeal button on the order page as your guide, and appeal rather than release if the payment has not arrived when the option is available.
What if the money arrives after the order was cancelled? Do not send the crypto outside the platform. Contact support with the order number and your statement so they can tell you the correct way to handle or return the payment.
Should I give the buyer my phone number or bank login to “check”? No. Never share bank logins, one-time codes or your exchange 2FA codes with a counterparty or anyone claiming to help with the appeal.
Sources and review basis
- [1]Binance P2P Appeal Handling Rules — What support does when the buyer says they paid and the seller has not received it, that a silent seller is assumed to have been paid, and that a seller who releases without confirming payment bears the loss.
- [2]Binance: How to Appeal for P2P Orders on the Binance App? — Appeal path (Help, then Appeal), the 10-minute counterparty response window, CS Review status and the 5-minute wait after cancelling an appeal by mistake.
- [3]Binance: How to Avoid Common P2P Scams — Fake payment screenshots and fake bank SMS: check your bank or e-wallet directly before releasing.
- [4]Binance: How to Export a Bank Statement for Binance P2P Appeal & Lift Suspension — Bank statements for P2P cases must be original PDFs exported from the bank; edited or cropped statements are rejected.
- [5]OKX: How do I raise a dispute when using P2P trading? — OKX's advice not to release before payment arrives, the Need Help? dispute entry, some methods taking 1-3 business days, and automated handling within 72 hours.
This guide is for risk education and record preparation only. It is not legal, tax, investment, or account-recovery advice. Always confirm account, KYC, fiat, and P2P requirements through official channels.
Reviewed by the czneo Editorial Team
This guide was checked by the czneo editorial team against exchange help centers and public sources. It only includes steps you can verify yourself; for account, bank, tax, or identity questions, the official channel’s answer always takes priority.