Receive XLM instead
Send USDC and have the recipient end up holding XLM, converted on a Stellar exchange in the same transfer.
XLM is Stellar's own currency. The money crosses as USDC and is converted to XLM on a Stellar exchange as the last step of the same transfer.
Switch to XLM
Under Receive on Stellar, switch from USDC to XLM. The routes update and show:
- the amount of XLM you receive, and under it the Min: the least XLM the conversion delivers;
- Conversion rate, the XLM that one USDC buys at the quoted price;
- Converted on, the Stellar exchange that quoted the conversion.
The rate is the market's. The conversion has no fee line of its own.
Approve the conversion
Because the conversion spends from the receiving account, the recipient approves it in a Stellar wallet connected to that account. A muxed or contract address receives USDC, and the route to XLM is declined for it with the reason: the converted XLM would reach a muxed address's account without its id, and a contract cannot approve the conversion. The step reads Convert to XLM on Stellar and comes after the USDC arrives. Connect your wallets covers connecting one.
The conversion spends only what this transfer brought in. Anything the account already held is left alone.
The account pays the conversion's fee
The receiving account signs the conversion, so it pays the network fee from its own XLM, above the minimum balance Stellar holds back. The quote checks for 0.1 XLM to spare, and more when the account also pays for its own Circle delivery. An account without it is declined before you sign anything, for example: "Converting into XLM is a transaction the receiving account signs and pays a network fee for, up to 0.1 XLM, and it has 0 XLM to spare. Receive USDC, or add a little XLM to the account first."
A new address always has nothing to spare, so to send to one, receive the asset you send: USDC, or USDT0 for a USDT0 transfer. See Send to a new Stellar address.
If the conversion cannot run
Before you approve, the app asks the exchange for a fresh price and builds the conversion. It stops before asking for your signature when converting now would deliver less XLM than the minimum you were shown, or when the built transaction's fee is more than the account can spare. The USDC then stays in the account, and the card shows Arrived on Stellar, not converted with the reason. The USDC is yours either way, and you can convert it later.