What Is An S-Handle And Why It Matters

Most payment systems identify accounts but not people

When people communicate online, they use identities.

They use:

• usernames
• social handles
• email addresses
• profile names

When people make payments, they often use:

• account numbers
• IBANs
• sort codes
• routing numbers
• wallet addresses

The difference is obvious.

One system is built around people.

The other is built around infrastructure.

The S-Handle was created to make payments feel more human, portable and shareable.

What is an S-Handle?

An S-Handle is a portable payment identity used within the Spondula network.

Instead of sharing multiple payment instructions, users can share a single identity.

For example:

@johnsmith

or

@londoncoffee

can be significantly easier to remember than:

• account numbers
• IBANs
• routing codes
• wallet addresses

The goal is simple.

Make payments easier to share and easier to remember.

“An S-Handle is designed to be a payment identity rather than a payment instruction.”

Why payment identity matters

Modern commerce increasingly happens online.

People receive payments through:

• social media
• creator platforms
• freelancing
• online businesses
• membership communities
• global commerce

Sharing complex banking information repeatedly creates friction.

Payment identity reduces that friction.

This is particularly valuable for:

• creators
• freelancers
• remote workers
• small businesses
• global merchants

The internet runs on usernames. Payments are increasingly moving in the same direction.

How an S-Handle works inside Spondula

The S-Handle is designed to sit at the centre of a user's payment experience.

It can be used alongside:

• payment links
• QR payments
• wallet participation
• creator payments
• business payments
• cross-border participation