# Sending money

> Send money to any @username instantly and free, and request money with a link or QR. Password-protected sends are coming soon.

Part of the Soca documentation (https://soca.finance/docs). Human version: https://soca.finance/docs/personal/sending-money
Sending money on Soca works the way you would tell a friend it should: type their @username, type an amount, send. It arrives instantly and it costs nothing. Customers never pay network fees. Soca sponsors gas on every transaction.

## Sending to a @username

1. **Find them**: Start typing a @username and Soca confirms who it is before you send. You can also paste a Solana address or a `.sol` name if you have one.
2. **Enter the amount**: Dollars in, dollars out. The review screen shows the recipient, the amount, and **Fee: Free**.
3. **Send**: The money appears in their account immediately. Done.

Soca never asks for phone numbers to send money. A @username is all it takes. If you want, you can add the recipient’s email so they get a heads-up notification, but that is entirely optional.

## Requesting money

To ask someone for money, create a **request**: enter the amount, add an optional note (“pizza night 🍕”), and Soca gives you a link and a QR code. Share the link by text, chat, or email, or let them scan the QR in person. They pay straight to your account, and there is no fee for either of you.

## Protecting a send with a password (coming soon)

> **Coming soon**: Password-protected sends are not live yet. The flow below is what this feature will do when it launches; for now, sends are the instant, free transfers described above.

Sometimes you will want a little more care than an instant transfer: a bigger amount, a recipient who is new to Soca, or just peace of mind. For that, you will be able to choose **Protect with a password** when you send:

1. **Set a password**: At least 6 characters. Share it with the recipient privately, in person or over a channel only they can see. Soca never includes the password in any notification.
2. **They claim it**: The recipient opens the claim link, signs in to Soca (creating their account first if they are new; it takes a minute), and enters the password. The money is released to them.
3. **Unclaimed? It comes back**: The money is held while it waits. If it is not claimed within **30 days**, it automatically returns to your account. You never lose money to a send that was never picked up.

Until the recipient enters the correct password, nobody can take the money, whether they intercept the link or guess the username. The password is the key, and only you and your recipient have it.

## Contacts and favorites

People you pay often can be saved as **contacts**, with a name, an optional note, and a one-tap **Send** shortcut. Star the ones you use most to pin them as favorites at the top of the list.

> **Sending is always free**: There is no fee to send, no fee to receive, and no fee to request. Personal transfers between Soca users cost nothing, ever.