Transactions spend outputs
A wallet’s balance can consist of multiple unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs). When creating a payment, it selects one or more outputs as inputs. Inputs are spent in full; they are not edited down like a bank account balance.
The remainder can become change
If selected inputs exceed the amount going to the recipient plus the fee, the transaction can create another output for the remainder. The wallet tracks that output as change it can spend later.
Worked example: 100,000 sats
Imagine a transaction uses one 100,000-sat input, sends 30,000 sats to a recipient, and creates a 69,500-sat change output. The remaining 500 sats are the transaction fee: 100,000 − 30,000 − 69,500 = 500 sats. These are example values, not a fee estimate.
Why the wallet may show more than one output
A transaction can include several recipient and change outputs, and the wallet may use multiple inputs. The number of outputs and transaction size affect the fee. Your wallet’s transaction details can help distinguish a payment output from change; do not guess based on output order alone.
Check before signing
Review the recipient, amount, network, and fee in your wallet. If you use a separate signing device, check the details on its trusted display too. Never share a private key or recovery phrase to ask someone to identify a change output.