# Transaction batching

Batching pays many recipients in one Bitcoin transaction, sharing fixed costs and saving block space. See how much it saves and who uses it.

Canonical page: https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/transaction-batching
Topic: Transactions
Published: 2026-10-29
Updated: 2026-10-30


## Many payments, one transaction
Instead of making 20 separate transactions, a business can create **one** transaction with 20 outputs (plus change). The inputs, version and locktime are paid for once instead of 20 times.

> Diagram: One input paying five recipients plus change — 1.0 → 0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.4997

## How much it saves
| | 20 separate payments | 1 batched payment |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | at least 20 | as few as 1 |
| Change outputs | up to 20 | 1 |
| Rough size | about 2,800 vB | about 900 vB |

Rough figures for native SegWit; the real saving depends on the wallet's coins.

## Who uses it
Exchanges processing withdrawals, mining pools paying miners, and payroll services. In MyBitcoinExplorer, `explain_transaction` labels transactions with five or more outputs as a likely batch payment.

> A downside: if one payout needs to be bumped or fails, everyone in the batch is affected.


## Spot a batch on MyBitcoinExplorer
Open a recent block and look for transactions with one or a few inputs and many outputs: those are usually exchange withdrawals or pool payouts. The [API](/developers) and `explain_transaction` label them as likely batch payments.

## Batching and fees for recipients
If a batch confirms slowly, every recipient waits. Recipients can still speed up their own payment with [CPFP](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/child-pays-for-parent-cpfp) by spending their output.


## Key takeaways

- Batching pays many recipients in one transaction.
- It shares the fixed costs and saves a lot of block space.
- Exchanges and pools batch payouts routinely.

## Common questions

### Does batching affect privacy?

Recipients in the same batch can see each other's outputs, and observers can tell it was a batch.

### Can individuals batch payments?

Yes, many wallets let you add several recipients to one transaction.

### How do I batch payments in my wallet?

Many wallets let you add several recipients to one send screen. Each becomes an output in a single transaction.

### Does batching reduce fees per recipient?

Yes. Inputs and change are paid for once and shared across all recipients.

## Related lessons

- [Transaction outputs](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/transaction-outputs)
- [How Bitcoin transaction fees work](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/bitcoin-transaction-fees)
- [Dust and UTXO consolidation](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/dust-and-consolidation)
- [How to read a block explorer](https://mybitcoinexplorer.com/learn/how-to-read-a-block-explorer)