NOWPayments Unveils Zero‑Fee Crypto Payouts to Speed Up Mass Payouts
Amsterdam, July 10, 2026 — NOWPayments rolled out a new payout infrastructure designed to eradicate blockchain network fees by replacing wallet‑level transfers with instant, email‑based payouts. The announcement positions the company as a disruptor in the mass‑payout space, where affiliate networks, marketplaces, gaming platforms, and payroll providers shoulder mounting costs each time a crypto payout is sent.
In remarks accompanying the rollout, Kate Lifshits, CEO of NOWPayments, framed the move as a long‑overdue rethink of payout economics. “Crypto transfers shouldn’t be slowed or priced out by the infrastructure they rely on,” Lifshits told reporters. as nowpayments kate lifshits says, the industry has tolerated payout costs for too long. “We’re offering a path to scale without dragging in network fees or wallet‑level bottlenecks.”
The zero‑fee payout system swaps wallet addresses and blockchain confirmations for an email‑driven model. Recipients receive access to their funds through a secure email prompt, while businesses eliminate network validation, transaction delays, and the glimmering costs that have long plagued large payout campaigns.
What the New Payout Model Changes for Businesses
- Zero network fees across most payout routes
- Zero service fees charged by the payout platform
- Delivery times measured in under one second for most users
- Automated onboarding that reduces manual verification needs
- Fewer failed payouts and lower customer support load
- Streamlined reconciliation and easier tax reporting for fintechs
How It Works in Practice
The new system is built around a simple premise: don’t require a crypto wallet for every recipient. Businesses send payouts to an email address, and recipients convert the email prompt into a liquid balance within minutes. There is no need to collect or validate wallet addresses, nor to manage network confirmations across multiple blockchains. Vendors can integrate the feature via NOWPayments’ API, or run it through standard payout dashboards already familiar to the crypto and fintech ecosystem.
From a technical standpoint, the process is designed to be plug‑and‑play for operators with large payout volumes. On the back end, it reduces the operational complexity of managing wallet keys, monitoring network status, and handling failed transfers. The company asserts that outages and delays caused by congested networks are all but eliminated with email‑based delivery.
Economic Rationale: Why This Matters Now
The focal point of the shift is economics, not just technology. NOWPayments argues that, at scale, the cumulative cost of payouts—network fees, service charges, and overhead for payout validation—becomes a material drag on margins for participants in affiliate programs, marketplaces, and fintech services. Lifshits argues that the market has spent years racing to offer the lowest per‑payout fee, but that approach misses the bigger picture: a per‑payout model is inherently inefficient for large volumes.
In a follow‑up briefing, nowpayments kate lifshits says the transition is about changing the incentive structure inside payout operations. “When you scale, the marginal cost of each payout should approach zero, not rise with each transaction,” Lifshits noted. The company’s leadership asserts the new framework can reduce total cost of ownership for payout platforms while enabling faster recipient access to funds.
Who Stands to Benefit?
The company highlighted several sectors that could gain materially from zero‑fee, email‑based payouts:
- Affiliate networks and referral platforms seeking faster payout cycles
- Online marketplaces disbursing seller or cashback rewards
- Gaming studios running large‑scale prize and loyalty payouts
- Payroll providers distributing quarterly bonuses or gig‑economy wages
- Creator economies where fans tip or reward contributors via crypto
- Fintechs exploring alternative payout rails for cross‑border payments
Early partners have begun pilot programs in parts of Europe and North America, with NOWPayments reporting on‑time payouts in most instances and a measurable drop in support tickets tied to payout failures.
Adoption Dynamics and Timeline
The rollout is positioned as a staged integration. While the core payout rails are available immediately, the company is focusing on API enhancements and partner integrations to support more complex payout conditions, such as multi‑recipient campaigns and conditional disbursements tied to performance metrics.
The path to broad adoption hinges on a combination of regulatory clarity, security assurances, and compatibility with existing tax and accounting workflows. NOWPayments has said it will publish best‑practice guidelines for merchants to reconcile email‑based payouts with local reporting requirements.
Regulatory and Security Considerations
Payout models that bypass traditional wallets inevitably draw questions about risk controls and user verification. Industry observers note that any system shifting away from address‑based transfers must maintain rigorous anti‑fraud and KYC standards, especially for cross‑border operations. NOWPayments has emphasized strong authentication for payout recipients and plans to integrate optional identity checks in future updates.
Analysts say that if implemented with solid security controls and clear consumer protections, the new approach could reduce phishing risks associated with wallet addresses and lower the probability of transfer failures caused by network instability.
Market Readout and Next Steps
Crypto markets in July 2026 have shown renewed volatility, but the deployment of lower‑cost payout rails is seen by investors as a practical improvement in the ecosystem’s infrastructure. Industry commentators note that a zero‑fee model could accelerate activity on affiliate networks and creator marketplaces, potentially expanding on‑chain liquidity as funds move through email prompts instead of wallet confirmations.
In a closing note, Lifshits stressed that the change is not about eliminating all blockchain use but about removing unnecessary friction at the point of payout. nowpayments kate lifshits says this is a structural upgrade that aligns payout economics with the scale of modern digital businesses. The company plans to publish use cases and case studies in the coming weeks to illustrate how the model translates to real‑world savings.
Bottom Line: A Possible Turning Point for Crypto Payouts
The introduction of a zero‑fee, email‑driven payout mechanism marks a notable shift in how crypto money is moved from businesses to individuals. If the model proves scalable and secure, the industry could see a broader adoption of email‑based disbursements across segments that move large volumes of crypto rewards, stipends, and payouts. Investors, platforms, and regulators will be watching closely as NOWPayments tests the economic thesis that payouts can be both faster and cheaper without compromising safety or compliance.
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