When depositing certain coins on Binance, you'll see an extra field called MEMO or Tag in addition to the deposit address. Many people don't know what it is, skip it, and then wonder why their deposit never arrives. Here's what you need to know. Pay close attention when you see MEMO/Tag fields on the Binance Official or Binance Official APP deposit page. iPhone users can check the iOS Installation Guide.
What Are MEMO and Tag?
Some blockchains (like XRP Ledger, Stellar, EOS, and others) use a shared address system. Instead of giving each user a unique address, the exchange uses one master address for all users, and identifies individual accounts via the MEMO/Tag — a string of numbers or characters unique to your account.
Think of it like an apartment building: the deposit address is the building address, and the MEMO is your apartment number. Without the apartment number, the package arrives at the building but can't be delivered to you.
When Is MEMO/Tag Required?
Not all coins require it. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most ERC20/TRC20 tokens don't need a MEMO. Coins that commonly require it include: XRP (Destination Tag), XLM (Memo), EOS (Memo), BNB on certain networks (Memo), ATOM, HBAR, and others. Binance's deposit page clearly shows when a MEMO is required.
What Happens If You Forget?
If you send without the required MEMO/Tag, the funds reach the exchange's master address but can't be automatically credited to your account. The good news: the funds aren't lost — they're at the exchange. Contact Binance support with your transaction hash, the coin, amount, and the correct MEMO. They can manually credit it to your account, though this process may take days.
Q: Can I make up any MEMO?
A: No. You must use the exact MEMO shown on your Binance deposit page. Each user has a unique MEMO assigned by the system.
Q: Will I be charged for recovery if I forgot the MEMO?
A: Binance typically doesn't charge for MEMO recovery, but the manual process takes time. Always double-check before sending.