How long does an XRP payment take?

Usually three to five seconds. The XRP Ledger reaches agreement on new transactions every few seconds, so a confirmed payment is final almost immediately, unlike a bank transfer that can take days.

Why do I need a destination tag?

Exchanges often share one XRP address across many customers and use a numeric destination tag to identify which account a payment belongs to. If an exchange asks for one and you leave it out, the payment can be delayed or lost.

Why can I not empty my XRP wallet completely?

The XRP Ledger requires a small reserve to keep an account open, which stops people from flooding the network with empty accounts. The reserve cannot be spent while the account is active, so a small balance always remains.

Is XRP cheaper than a bank transfer?

For cross-border payments, almost always. A typical XRP transaction costs a fraction of a cent and settles in seconds, compared with bank fees that can run to several dollars over multiple days.