How were medieval people paid?

Payments were usually made in silver coin. There was not a lot of gold used in much of the Middle Ages. The Byzantine Empire had copper coins, but in the West, it was usually silver. In much of the medieval time, the coins were of a design derived from the old Roman denarius, and this included the French denier and the English penny.

Serfs were sometimes not paid, but simply allowed to live and farm on a manor in exchange for part of the harvest. They were usually paid for certain tasks, however, including payments for things they made on their own. For example, young women who were serfs often spun thread for income.

There was certainly barter going on in most places.