How does automatic exchange differ from manual?
The main difference is who carries out the payout. In automatic mode, once your payment is confirmed on the network, the exchange and payout happen without human involvement. In manual mode, an operator checks the payout, and it takes longer.
Everything else in the order is the same: the rate, fee and final amount are visible before you create the order, the rate is locked at the moment of creation, and the payment address is valid for up to 2 hours. The detailed sequence of steps is described in the article How to exchange cryptocurrency.
How does automatic mode work?
Automatic mode works like a conveyor belt: you pay for the order, the network confirms the payment, the system carries out the exchange and sends the coins to the receiving address you specified. No operator is needed in this chain.
If the exchange fails for any reason, the coins are returned to the refund address you provided when creating the order. That's why it is worth entering the refund address as carefully as the receiving address.
The speed of such an exchange mostly depends on the network: confirmation times differ between blockchains, and benchmarks are collected in the article How long to wait for transaction confirmations.
How does manual mode work?
In manual mode, an operator checks the payout. This adds time, but it makes it possible for a person to review the order if it has any nuances. If a question comes up about the order, the operator contacts you.
A manual check does not mean the terms will change: the rate locked when the order was created and the amount shown on the exchange page stay the same. Only the way the payout is processed changes.
Plan your time in advance: if you need the funds by a specific hour, choose manual mode with a margin to spare.
A practical approach is to judge how critical the deadline is. If a delay of a few hours changes nothing, manual mode is acceptable. If another operation depends on receiving the coins, such as a payment or a transfer to an exchange, automatic mode and a fast network are the safer choice.
Comparing the modes: what to look at
- Speed. Automatic mode is typically faster because it doesn't wait for a person. In manual mode, the time depends on the operator.
- Human involvement. In automatic mode the payout goes through without an operator; in manual mode there is a check.
- Fee. The terms are shown on the exchange page before you create the order; how they add up is explained in the article Fees in a crypto exchange.
- List of coins. The available pairs are visible in the drop-down list of the form.
- If something goes wrong. In automatic mode, if the exchange fails, the coins are returned to the refund address, and non-standard payments go to an operator.
Compare the modes by the final amount you receive and by urgency, not by a single parameter.
Also remember the network fee on the payout: it depends on the network you choose and isn't directly tied to the mode. Sometimes changing the network affects the total more than changing the mode does.
Which mode should you choose in typical situations?
For an ordinary exchange, choose automatic mode: it is faster and doesn't depend on operator workload. Manual mode makes sense when the situation is non-standard or you need to talk to a real person.
Example 1. An urgent transfer
Say you need to receive stablecoins before the end of the business day. Predictable timing matters here, so automatic mode and a network with fast confirmation are the better choice.
Example 2. A non-standard order
Say you aren't sure about the network or about the quirks of the receiving wallet. It is calmer to write to support first and clarify the details, and only then create the order.
Example 3. An irregular amount
If you are sending an amount that is hard to calculate exactly, keep in mind the consequences of a mismatch: see the article Underpayment and overpayment.
What does the exchange time consist of?
The total exchange time consists of several stages: you send the payment, the network confirms it, then the exchange and payout are carried out, and after the payout the receiving network confirms the incoming transfer. The mode affects the middle stage; the others depend on the blockchains.
That's why two orders in the same mode can finish in different times: one on a fast network, the other on a network with slow confirmations. As a rule, the benchmark is the number of confirmations the network requires and its current load.
If your wallet shows that the transfer was sent but the payout hasn't arrived yet, that isn't necessarily a problem. First look at the transaction status by its txid.
Why doesn't automatic mode remove the need to be careful?
Automation carries out the order exactly according to the data you entered. It can't guess that you wanted a different address or a different network. A blockchain transfer is, as a rule, irreversible, so a mistake in the receiving address usually can't be corrected after the fact.
That is why the service shows all the parameters in advance, and you should check them at every step: the amount, the network, the address and, if needed, the memo. The habit of verifying the data before sending matters more than the choice of mode.
Good practice for a first exchange to a new address: sort out the network and the address first, and only then create the order.
How do you track an order after payment?
After sending the payment, save the txid and the BW-… order number. The txid lets you see at any moment in a blockchain explorer whether the payment arrived and how many confirmations it has collected.
If confirmations are coming in, the order is waiting on the network, and in automatic mode the payout will follow once it is confirmed. If the transaction is not found, it was probably not sent, or you are searching for it in the explorer of a different network.
In manual mode, also take the operator's working hours into account, and do not send repeat payments for the same order.
What do the two modes have in common?
Whichever mode you use, the requirements for your payment are the same: the exact amount from the order, the right network and payment within the window. A payment address is created for each order and is valid for up to 2 hours, so one address can't be reused.
If you send the wrong amount, choose a different network or pay after the deadline, the payment goes to an operator for manual review. This is true in automatic mode too, so “automatic” does not mean “you can make mistakes without consequences.”
Some coins also need a memo or destination tag: what it is and when it is required.
What happens if the payment doesn't match the order?
If the amount doesn't match, the payment arrived on a different network or after the deadline, the system can't process it in the usual way. Such a payment is passed to an operator for manual review.
This doesn't mean a loss of funds, but it does mean a delay and correspondence with support. The more closely you follow the order, the lower the chance that your payment ends up in a manual review.
If you have already sent a payment with a deviation, don't create a new order “just in case.” Contact support first and attach the order details.
Common mistakes in choosing and using a mode
- Choosing manual mode for no reason. It adds waiting time, and it doesn't guarantee a better final amount.
- Expecting an instant payout in every case. Automatic mode depends on network confirmations, and they take longer when the blockchain is busy.
- Not providing a refund address, or making a mistake in it. That is exactly where the coins go back if something fails.
- Paying after the deadline. The address is valid for up to 2 hours; a later payment goes to manual review.
- Mixing up the network. For example, sending USDT on a network other than the one in the order. The differences are described in the article USDT: TRC20, ERC20 or BEP20.
- Typing the address from memory. Check it against the address checklist.
Checklist before creating an order
- You opened the site from a bookmark, and the address in the browser bar is bitwhite.net.
- You checked the rate, fee and final amount on the exchange page.
- It is clear which network you will send and receive the coins on.
- The receiving address and the refund address are copied and compared.
- If a memo or tag is needed, it is specified.
- You have enough funds for the order amount and for the network fee of sending.
- You can pay within 2 hours.
- The BW-… order number is saved, and after sending, the txid is saved too.
Five minutes spent checking usually saves far more time than sorting out a wrong payment.
If even one item raises a doubt, stop and clarify it with support. That is faster than fixing the consequences, and it costs nothing extra.
What to do if you need help
Support works through Telegram. In your message, give the order number (BW-…) and the txid of your payment: without them it is hard for a specialist to find the payment. How to find the txid and check its status is explained in the article How to find a transaction by txid.
Write only to the contacts listed on the official site bitwhite.net. The service never asks for a seed phrase or a private key: if someone requests them on behalf of support, it is fraud; see signs of fake exchange services.