From empty wallet to package, in order

Everything on the other pages, put in the sequence you actually do it. Follow the rungs top to bottom and nothing surprises you.

1. 1

   Get some Monero

   Buy XMR through an exchange, a peer trade or a swap. Pick the route by how much identity you are willing to attach. This is covered in full on the getting-Monero page.

2. 2

   Move it to your own wallet

   Send the coin from wherever you bought it into Feather, Cake or the GUI. Let it arrive and confirm the balance. Never pay a market straight from an exchange.

3. 3

   Install Tor Browser properly

   Download it only from the Tor Project, verify the signature the first time, and set the security level to Safest. A normal browser cannot open an onion address.

4. 4

   Reach the market and verify

   Copy a verified onion link, open it in Tor Browser, and read the address on the login screen back against your bar before you type anything. If they differ, close the tab.

5. 5

   Create an account carefully

   Use a username you have never used elsewhere, a long unique password from a local manager, and turn on PGP two-factor. Write the recovery phrase on paper and never type it into a login.

6. 6

   Fund the order into escrow

   Open the order, copy its deposit address, and send the exact amount from your wallet. Monero confirmations land in around twenty minutes. The coin sits in multisig escrow, not the vendor pocket.

7. 7

   Confirm only on delivery

   When the package arrives and matches, confirm receipt to release escrow. If it never comes or arrives wrong, open a dispute instead. Never finalize early on a vendor you do not know.