Why fund Plu from Rainbow?
Rainbow is a beautifully designed self-custodial wallet focused on Ethereum and Layer 2s.
Plu issues a Visa card you can fund directly with stablecoins. Rainbow is EVM-only with strong Ethereum mainnet and L2 support (Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, Polygon, zkSync). For Plu funding, send via Ethereum mainnet (ERC-20). The result: one on-chain transaction, then you spend at any of 100+ million Visa merchants in 143+ countries — no exchange off-ramp, no bank account required.
This guide walks you through the exact flow: copying Plu's deposit address, choosing the right network on Rainbow, sending the transfer, and confirming the credit. Most users finish in under 5 minutes.
What you'll need
- Rainbow installed on your mobile app or browser extension
- USDC or USDT on Ethereum (ERC-20) balance in your Rainbow wallet (enough for the transfer + a small network fee buffer)
- A Plu account (free — sign up at app.getplu.com if you don't have one)
- Internet connection on both devices
Step-by-step
1. Open Plu and tap Add funds
Choose USDC or USDT. Plu will prompt you to pick a network.
2. Choose your network
Rainbow sends via Ethereum (ERC-20). Network fees vary with gas conditions ($2-15 typical). For cheaper funding, consider holding USDT or USDC in a Tron-compatible wallet for TRC-20 transfers (under $1 in fees).
3. Copy the deposit address
Plu shows a unique deposit address for the network you selected. Tap to copy. Verify the first and last 4 characters match what you'll paste in the next step.
4. Open Rainbow and tap Send
In Rainbow, tap your USDC or USDT balance, then Send. Make sure 'Ethereum' is selected — Rainbow defaults to whatever network you used last. Paste the Plu deposit address.
5. Paste the address and enter the amount
Paste the Plu deposit address. Enter the USDC or USDT amount you want to fund. Rainbow will show you the network fee — review it, then confirm.
6. Wait for the credit
Once the transaction confirms on-chain, Plu credits your balance. Ethereum (ERC-20) typically takes 1-3 minutes. You'll see a notification in the Plu app.
Network selection
Rainbow supports the following networks for Plu funding:
| Network | Fee | Speed | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ERC-20) | $2-15 typical (gas-dependent) | 1-3 minutes | USDC/USDT already on Ethereum |
Default recommendation: **Ethereum (ERC-20)**.
Common issues and fixes
- Make sure you're on Ethereum mainnet — Rainbow's network switcher is at the top. L2 deposits (Arbitrum, Base, Polygon) won't credit on Plu.
- Insufficient ETH for gas — Rainbow requires ETH on mainnet for gas, even if you're sending USDC.
- Rainbow Defaults — Rainbow has a feature called 'Bridge before send' for cross-chain. Don't enable this for Plu transfers; use a direct ETH mainnet transfer.
- Token contracts — Rainbow shows token logos clearly, but verify the contract address matches official USDC/USDT before first-time sends.
What you can do once funded
Once your Plu balance lands, you can:
- Add the Plu Visa to Apple Pay or Google Pay for contactless payments
- Pay any subscription billed in USD (Netflix, Spotify, GitHub, ChatGPT, AWS, etc.)
- Spend at any merchant accepting Visa — 100+ million worldwide
- Withdraw cash at ATMs at competitive rates
- Issue scoped Agent Cards for AI agents (Claude, Cursor, etc.) with hard spending limits
Browse the dedicated USDC and USDT card pages to see networks supported, country availability, and detailed comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send via Optimism, Arbitrum, or Base from Rainbow?
No — Plu only accepts Ethereum mainnet deposits, not L2s. If your USDC/USDT is on an L2, bridge to Ethereum mainnet first using the official bridge for that L2, or a fast service like Across.
What network should I use to send from Rainbow?
Rainbow supports Ethereum (ERC-20) only. Network fees vary with gas — typically $2-15. For cheaper funding, consider a Tron-compatible wallet.
How long does the transfer take to credit my Plu balance?
Once the transaction confirms on-chain, Plu credits your balance immediately. Confirmation time depends on the network: TRC-20 lands in 30-90 seconds, ERC-20 takes 1-3 minutes, Solana under 30 seconds.
What if I send to the wrong network?
Cross-chain mistakes are usually unrecoverable. Always confirm the destination address matches the network shown in Plu's deposit screen. Tron addresses start with "T", Ethereum addresses start with "0x", Solana addresses use base58 encoding. Rainbow should clearly show the network at the top of the send screen — match it to what Plu requested.
Is there a minimum or maximum deposit?
Plu's minimum deposit is generally low (under $10 equivalent) but varies by tier. Maximum deposits scale with your account verification level. Network fees may make very small deposits uneconomical — it's best to batch top-ups when possible.