Privacy Guide
How to Pay for Hosting with Monero (XMR) - Step by Step
Privacy Guide

How to Pay for Hosting with Monero (XMR) - Step by Step

AnubizHost Team

Monero is the only mainstream cryptocurrency with genuine transaction privacy. Bitcoin is pseudonymous - every transaction is visible on-chain and traceable. XMR uses ring signatures and stealth addresses so payments are unlinkable by default. Here is how to use it to pay for an offshore VPS at AnubizHost with no paper trail.

Why Monero, Not Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the most widely accepted cryptocurrency for VPS payments, but it is not private. Every BTC transaction is permanently recorded on a public ledger. Chain-analysis firms like Chainalysis and Elliptic trace BTC flows routinely, including for hosting payments. If your goal is to pay without a paper trail, Bitcoin does not deliver that.

Monero (XMR) is different at the protocol level. Three technologies make it genuinely unlinkable:

  • Ring signatures - your spend is mixed with decoy outputs so no external observer can determine which input you used.
  • Stealth addresses - the receiver generates a unique one-time address per transaction; there is no reusable address to cluster payments against.
  • RingCT - transaction amounts are hidden. External observers cannot see how much XMR moved.

The result: an XMR payment to AnubizHost from a non-KYC wallet is not linkable to your identity by any current analysis technique. That is the actual privacy guarantee. It is not a marketing claim.

Note: Monero's privacy model protects the payment layer. Your VPS network traffic is a separate concern. For traffic privacy, use Tor or a VPN running on the VPS itself.

Step 1 - Get a Monero Wallet

You need a non-custodial wallet where you control the private keys. Do not use an exchange wallet to pay for hosting - exchange wallets are KYC'd and every withdrawal is logged against your identity.

Recommended wallets:

  • Feather Wallet (featherwallet.org) - desktop, lightweight, no seed phrase needed online. Best for most users.
  • Monero GUI (getmonero.org) - the official full node + wallet. Heavier but runs a local node for maximum privacy.
  • Monerujo - Android mobile wallet. Open source. Connect to your own remote node or a public one.
  • Cake Wallet - iOS/Android. Non-custodial, supports XMR natively.

Setup steps (using Feather Wallet as example):

  1. Download Feather from featherwallet.org. Verify the PGP signature on the download.
  2. Create a new wallet. Write down the 25-word seed phrase on paper. Store it offline.
  3. Let the wallet synchronize. It connects to a remote node by default - choose one from the built-in list or point it at your own.
Tip: If using a public remote node, the node operator can see your IP address and when you sync. For additional anonymity, connect Feather over Tor or use your own Monero node.

Step 2 - Get XMR Without KYC

Where you buy XMR determines your starting anonymity. Options ranked by privacy:

  • LocalMonero (agoradesk.com/localmonero.co) - P2P exchange. Buy with cash, gift cards, or bank transfer from individuals. No central KYC if you use cash trades.
  • Bisq - decentralized exchange. Trade BTC for XMR peer-to-peer with no central party holding your data.
  • KYC-free instant exchanges - services like ChangeNow or Exolix swap BTC to XMR without KYC below certain limits. Start with BTC from a non-KYC source.
  • Mining - if you have the hardware, mined XMR has no purchase trail at all. Monero uses RandomX (CPU-friendly).

What to avoid: buying XMR from Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken (all require KYC and log your purchase to your identity). Even if you move it to a self-custody wallet, the on-ramp is recorded.

Step 3 - Pay for Your AnubizHost VPS

At AnubizHost, XMR payment is handled through our checkout flow without requiring any registration beyond an email address. Here is the exact process:

  1. Go to /offshore and select your plan.
  2. Proceed to checkout. You will be asked only for an email address - no name, phone, or ID.
  3. Select Monero (XMR) as the payment method. The checkout uses Plisio for crypto invoicing - an address and amount is generated for your specific order.
  4. In your Feather Wallet, click Send. Paste the invoice address. Confirm the XMR amount shown in the checkout.
  5. Send the transaction. Monero transactions take approximately 20 minutes for 10 confirmations (the standard required for most invoices).
  6. Your order status will update to Paid once confirmations are received. You will receive provisioning confirmation to the email you provided.
Note: Monero's 5% underpayment tolerance is active at AnubizHost. If your wallet deducts a slightly different amount due to fees, the payment will still register as complete. Do not send a second payment to make up the difference - contact support first.

What to Do with Your VPS After Provisioning

You have a VPS, paid anonymously. The next steps depend on your use case, but some practices apply regardless:

  • SSH in using the credentials sent to your email. Change the root password immediately.
  • If you created the email address specifically for this purchase and will not use it further, that is fine - AnubizHost only needs the email for order communication.
  • For network privacy on the VPS itself: install WireGuard or OpenVPN if you want to route your own traffic through it, or set up a Tor hidden service if that is your use case.
  • Renewal billing will come to your email. Pay each renewal with XMR from your wallet. Renewal cycle is 29 days from your order date.

See our guide: How to set up a personal VPN on a VPS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AnubizHost require any ID to accept Monero payment?

No. Email address only. No name, phone, or ID is required at any plan tier.

How long does Monero confirmation take?

Typically 20-30 minutes for 10 confirmations, which is the standard for most invoices. Block times are approximately 2 minutes.

What if I accidentally send less XMR than the invoice amount?

AnubizHost uses a 5% underpayment tolerance. If the difference is within 5%, the invoice marks as paid. If more, contact support with your transaction ID before sending a second payment.

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How to Pay for Hosting with Monero (XMR) - Step by Step | AnubizHost | AnubizHost Blog