This guide covers everything you need to know about UMA (Universal Money Address)- what it is, how it works, how to set up your account, and how to resolve common issues.
What Is a Universal Money Address (UMA)?
A Universal Money Address (UMA) is a human-readable payment address- think of it like an email address, but for money. You can use your UMA to send or receive payments instantly between UMA-enabled wallets, exchanges, or banks.
How the UMA Protocol Works
The UMA protocol is an open-source messaging standard that makes payments interoperable between financial institutions. It’s built on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, adding compliance and transaction messaging to enable fast, low-cost, and secure payments.
Wallets, exchanges, and banks that support UMA can offer real-time payments in multiple currencies to their customers.
What Is uma.money?
uma.money is the official web portal where you can create your UMA address and link it to your bank account.
It’s powered by Lightspark (enterprise-grade Lightning infrastructure) in partnership with Zero Hash LLC, a regulated financial institution.
When someone sends a payment to your UMA:
Zero Hash accepts the Bitcoin Lightning payment on your behalf.
The payment is automatically converted to USD (or your local currency, where supported).
The funds are deposited into your linked bank account in real time.
Why Do I See app.uma.money Instead of link.uma.me?
We recently updated our web address from link.uma.me to app.uma.money to better reflect our focus on payments.
Your account and features are unaffected- everything works just as before.
How Do I Claim a UMA Address?
Go to https://app.uma.money/login.
During setup, you’ll onboard as a Zero Hash customer.
Once onboarded, you can create your UMA address and link it to your bank account or supported payment method.
You’ll authorize Zero Hash (or your regional UMA partner) to automatically convert Bitcoin Lightning payments sent to your UMA into your local currency and deposit them into your account.
Do I Need to Verify My Identity for UMA?
Yes. To claim a UMA address through uma.money, you must complete Zero Hash’s KYC (Know Your Customer) verification process.
This may include:
Submitting personal information and documentation.
Providing a photo ID and selfie verification.
Confirming your residence and citizenship details.
Note: The exact steps may vary depending on the country you select during sign-up and local regulatory requirements.
Zero Hash is a regulated financial institution, so identity verification is required by law.
How Do I Resolve Onboarding or KYC-Related Issues?
If you experience issues during onboarding or verification:
Ensure your submitted documents are clear, unedited, and match your details.
If you’re asked for a selfie, make sure it matches your photo ID.
Try a different browser or device, and clear your cache and cookies.
If the issue continues, contact Zero Hash Support at uma@zerohash.com.
Once onboarding is complete and your UMA address is created, you can connect your bank or supported payment account and start receiving payments.
What Banks Are Supported for Deposits?
Currently, only banks that support real-time payment networks are available.
In the U.S., this includes most major institutions such as Chase, Bank of America, and many regional banks.
Availability may vary depending on your country.
Note: You will not be able to receive UMA payments unless a bank or supported payment account is connected.
Do I Have to Authorize Payments to My Bank Account to Receive Payments?
Yes. To receive automatic deposits, you must agree to your region’s applicable payment authorization agreement (for example, Zero Hash’s Real-Time Payments Authorization Agreement in the U.S.).
Can I Send Funds From Mexico?
At this time, users in Mexico can receive funds through UMA but cannot send funds yet.
We’re actively working to expand UMA’s capabilities, and sending from Mexico is on our product roadmap.
We’ll notify users as soon as this feature becomes available.
In the meantime, you can continue to receive funds and manage your UMA account as usual.
Are There Limits to How Much I Can Send or Receive?
Yes. For security reasons and to comply with banking regulations, there are limits on how much you can send or receive in a given time period.
These limits depend on:
The total amount you’ve already sent or received.
The locations of both the sender and receiver.
The financial institutions involved in the transfer.
If a payment is rejected:
Try sending a smaller amount.
Wait 24 hours and try again.
What Should I Do if My Deposit Is Missing?
If a deposit doesn’t appear:
Double-check that you sent funds to the correct UMA address.
UMA transactions are powered by the Bitcoin Lightning Network, which means payments cannot be reversed once sent.
If you sent money to the wrong UMA, contact our support team for assistance.
If you sent money to the correct UMA and it’s still missing, our payments partner Zero Hash may be experiencing a delay.
You can contact them directly at uma@zerohash.com for further help.
What Should I Do if My Transaction Declines?
Make sure there are sufficient funds in your account at the time of the transaction.
Add funds and try again.
Once your account is funded, it may take 1–2 days to reflect in our system.
After that window, you should be able to process the transaction successfully.
Still Need Help?
If you continue to experience issues or have questions about UMA, please submit a support ticket, and our team will be happy to assist you.
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