diff --git a/electrum/crypto.py b/electrum/crypto.py
index fd255c8f0..f948736f1 100644
--- a/electrum/crypto.py
+++ b/electrum/crypto.py
@@ -167,12 +167,6 @@ def aes_decrypt_with_iv(key: bytes, iv: bytes, data: bytes) -> bytes:
         raise InvalidPassword()
 
 
-def EncodeAES_base64(secret: bytes, msg: bytes) -> bytes:
-    """Returns base64 encoded ciphertext."""
-    e = EncodeAES_bytes(secret, msg)
-    return base64.b64encode(e)
-
-
 def EncodeAES_bytes(secret: bytes, msg: bytes) -> bytes:
     assert_bytes(msg)
     iv = bytes(os.urandom(16))
@@ -180,11 +174,6 @@ def EncodeAES_bytes(secret: bytes, msg: bytes) -> bytes:
     return iv + ct
 
 
-def DecodeAES_base64(secret: bytes, ciphertext_b64: Union[bytes, str]) -> bytes:
-    ciphertext = bytes(base64.b64decode(ciphertext_b64))
-    return DecodeAES_bytes(secret, ciphertext)
-
-
 def DecodeAES_bytes(secret: bytes, ciphertext: bytes) -> bytes:
     assert_bytes(ciphertext)
     iv, e = ciphertext[:16], ciphertext[16:]
diff --git a/electrum/plugins/digitalbitbox/digitalbitbox.py b/electrum/plugins/digitalbitbox/digitalbitbox.py
index fc19f13c9..562722ec5 100644
--- a/electrum/plugins/digitalbitbox/digitalbitbox.py
+++ b/electrum/plugins/digitalbitbox/digitalbitbox.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import sys
 import time
 import copy
 
-from electrum.crypto import sha256d, EncodeAES_base64, EncodeAES_bytes, DecodeAES_bytes, hmac_oneshot
+from electrum.crypto import sha256d, EncodeAES_bytes, DecodeAES_bytes, hmac_oneshot
 from electrum.bitcoin import public_key_to_p2pkh
 from electrum.bip32 import BIP32Node, convert_bip32_intpath_to_strpath, is_all_public_derivation
 from electrum import ecc
@@ -706,9 +706,10 @@ class DigitalBitboxPlugin(HW_PluginBase):
         assert self.is_mobile_paired(), "unexpected mobile pairing error"
         url = 'https://digitalbitbox.com/smartverification/index.php'
         key_s = base64.b64decode(self.digitalbitbox_config[ENCRYPTION_PRIVKEY_KEY])
+        ciphertext = EncodeAES_bytes(key_s, json.dumps(payload).encode('ascii'))
         args = 'c=data&s=0&dt=0&uuid=%s&pl=%s' % (
             self.digitalbitbox_config[CHANNEL_ID_KEY],
-            EncodeAES_base64(key_s, json.dumps(payload).encode('ascii')).decode('ascii'),
+            base64.b64encode(ciphertext).decode('ascii'),
         )
         try:
             text = Network.send_http_on_proxy('post', url, body=args.encode('ascii'), headers={'content-type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'})