What is a Monero integrated address?

An integrated address combines a standard Monero address with a payment ID into a single longer address. The payment ID (8 bytes, encrypted) is embedded in the address so the recipient can automatically identify who sent a payment. Integrated addresses start with '4' (like standard addresses) but are 106 characters long instead of 95. They were designed for merchants and exchanges to identify deposits without requiring separate payment IDs.

Should I use integrated or subaddresses?

Use subaddresses. Subaddresses (starting with '8') replaced integrated addresses for almost all use cases. Subaddresses are simpler (no embedded payment ID), provide better privacy (each subaddress is cryptographically unlinkable to the main address), and are supported by all modern wallets. Integrated addresses are still supported but considered legacy. The only remaining use case is backward compatibility with older systems that require payment IDs.

What happened to standalone payment IDs?

Long (32-byte) standalone payment IDs were deprecated in Monero v0.15 (2019) and removed from wallet support. They were a privacy risk because the same payment ID could link multiple transactions. Short (8-byte) encrypted payment IDs embedded in integrated addresses are still supported but discouraged. The Monero community recommends subaddresses instead, which achieve the same merchant identification goal with better privacy.

How do I create an integrated address?

In the CLI wallet: 'integrated_address' generates a random payment ID and shows the corresponding integrated address. 'integrated_address ' creates one with a specific 16-hex-character payment ID. In GUI wallet: go to Receive tab, click 'Create new address' and choose 'Integrated address'. In practice, most modern use cases should use subaddresses instead — they're simpler and more private.

Can integrated addresses be linked to my main address?

Yes — with the private view key. An integrated address is mathematically derived from your main address + a payment ID. Anyone with your private view key can compute the relationship. Without the view key, the payment ID is encrypted in the transaction and the integrated address looks like any other address. This is worse privacy than subaddresses, which are cryptographically unlinkable even with the view key in certain scenarios.

Monero Integrated Addresses (2026)

Embedded payment IDs for merchant identification

TL;DR: Integrated addresses embed a payment ID inside the address so merchants/exchanges can identify your deposit. They're legacy — subaddresses are better for almost all use cases. If someone gives you an integrated address (106 characters, starts with 4), it works fine. For your own receiving, use subaddresses (starts with 8).

Three Address Types

Type	Prefix	Length	Privacy	Status
Standard	`4`	95 chars	Base	Active
Integrated	`4`	106 chars	Base (linkable with view key)	Legacy
Subaddress	`8`	95 chars	Enhanced (unlinkable)	Recommended

How Integrated Addresses Work

Structure: Standard address (95 chars) + encrypted payment ID (8 bytes) = integrated address (106 chars).

Purpose: When you send to an integrated address, the payment ID is automatically included in the transaction (encrypted). The recipient decrypts it with their view key and matches the payment to your account/order.

Example use: An exchange gives you an integrated address for deposit. You send XMR. The exchange reads the embedded payment ID and credits your account automatically.

Why Subaddresses Won

Feature	Integrated	Subaddress
Payment identification	Yes (via payment ID)	Yes (unique per address)
Unlinkable to main address	No (derivable with view key)	Yes (cryptographically separate)
Unlimited generation	Yes	Yes
User experience	Confusing (106 chars)	Simple (95 chars)
Wallet support	Universal	Universal
Future-proof	Deprecated direction	Active development

Subaddresses provide the same merchant identification function with better privacy. Each subaddress is cryptographically independent — even with the private view key, linking subaddresses to each other requires the private spend key.

Payment ID History

Type	Status	Notes
Long payment ID (32 bytes, unencrypted)	Removed (v0.15, 2019)	Privacy hazard: visible on blockchain, linked transactions
Short payment ID (8 bytes, encrypted)	Deprecated but supported	Only via integrated addresses; encrypted in transaction
No payment ID (subaddress)	Recommended	Subaddress itself serves as unique identifier

CLI Commands

Command	Effect
`integrated_address`	Generate with random payment ID
`integrated_address <payment_id>`	Generate with specific 16-hex payment ID
`address`	Show main + all subaddresses
`address new [label]`	Create new subaddress (preferred)

When to Use Each

Integrated address: Only when a service requires it (some older exchanges). If they give you a 106-character address starting with 4, it's integrated — just send to it normally.

Subaddress: Everything else. Personal receiving, merchant payments, invoicing, privacy. Generate a new one for each payer.

Learn more: All Address Types · Subaddresses Deep-Dive