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Casa Pay vs. Your Vault: What's the Difference?
Both live in the Casa app. Both hold crypto. Here's how they differ and when to use each.
When you open the Casa app, you'll see two types of wallets on your home screen: Casa Pay and your vault. Both are self-custody, Casa never has full control of your funds in either. But they are built for different purposes and offer very different levels of security.
What they have in common
- Both live inside the Casa app
- Both can hold BTC and/or ETH
- Both are self-custody — your keys, your funds
- Both are available to Standard members and above (Casa Pay is also available on the free plan)
How they differ
| Casa Pay | 3-Key Vault | 5-Key Vault | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keys required to send | 1 (phone only) | 2 of 3 | 3 of 5 |
| Hardware device needed? | No | Yes | Yes |
| Seed phrase? | Optional (exportable) | Optional per device | Optional per device |
| Security level | Standard | High | Very high |
| Best for | Smaller, frequent transactions | Main bitcoin/ethereum holdings | Large, long-term holdings |
| Available on | All plans including Free | Standard and above | Premium and Private Client |
Casa Pay: built for convenience
Casa Pay is a simple, lightweight wallet secured by a single key for either BTC or ETH. To send funds, you only need your phone — no hardware device, no computer, no email confirmation step. The Pay key is generated and stored within the secure enclave of your personal mobile device and backed up to your device's default cloud service.
Think of Casa Pay like a wallet you carry in your pocket. It's great for smaller amounts you want quick, easy access to but you wouldn't put your life savings in it.
Casa Pay is not a multisig setup, and should not be considered to be as secure as a multisig vault.
Your vault: built for security
Your vault is where the bulk of your holdings should live. Every send requires your hardware device as a second signature, which adds friction but that friction is the security. If an attacker compromises one of your keys, your funds are not stolen. No one can drain your vault with just your phone.
3-key vault users will need to apply one additional transaction signature from their hardware device. 5-key vault users will need to apply two additional transaction signatures from any two of their hardware devices.
The key security difference
Casa Pay has a single key stored on your phone. If your phone and its cloud backup were both compromised, your Pay balance could be at risk.
Your vault requires multiple keys stored in different places. No single point of failure. A lost phone, a stolen hardware device, or even the loss of your Casa Recovery Key is not enough to expose your funds on its own.
Do you have to choose one or the other?
No, most Casa members use both. A common setup is to keep the majority of holdings in the vault, and a small amount in Casa Pay for transactions that don't warrant using a hardware device. They complement each other, you don't have to pick.
New to Casa vaults? See: What is a Multisig Vault?
Ready to set up your vault? See: Getting Started with the 3-Key Vault
Want to learn more about Casa Pay? See: Casa Pay