What you are really paying when you swap crypto
A chart price is not an executable swap quote. The difference can include the service fee, route pricing and network costs. Your wallet may also charge a separate fee to send the deposit.
The service fee
The configured base service fee is 1.65 percent. The fee displayed with the live quote applies to that quote; an eligible Free Roll discount may reduce it.
It is already inside the amount the quote says you will receive. It is not added at the end and it is not deducted afterwards.
A service fee is worth knowing exactly, because it is the only one of the three that is a stated number you can read straight off your quote.
The route spread
The route sets its offered exchange rate. Its difference from a reference market price can vary by pair, liquidity, amount and time.
That difference is separate from the interface's stated service fee. Its size is not fixed and it may not be itemized separately.
Compare executable quotes for the same swap rather than treating a chart price as an amount a route has promised to deliver.
Network fees
Sending the deposit from your wallet generally has its own network or withdrawal fee. That cost is paid on the sending side and is separate from the quoted receive amount.
The route may also account for a payout network fee. Review its fee details and expected receive amount; costs vary by network and conditions.
On a busy network at a busy moment, this can be the difference between a swap being worth doing and not.
Small swaps feel network fees hardest, because the fee is roughly fixed in absolute terms rather than proportional to your amount.
How to compare honestly
Compare the quoted receive amount alongside your wallet's deposit fee and the route's conditions. A low advertised percentage does not establish the total cost.
Get quotes for the same pair and the same size at roughly the same moment. Rates move, so quotes taken an hour apart are not comparable.
Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be cheapest on everything. Route pricing varies by pair, so no single service wins every combination.
Common questions
- Is the fee taken from what I send or what I receive?
- Our service fee is reflected in the quoted receive amount. Your wallet's fee to send the deposit is separate, and floating-rate quotes can change before settlement. Review the quote's fee details before continuing.
- Why is the gap against the market rate bigger than the 1.65 percent service fee?
- Route pricing and payout network costs can also affect the receive amount. A reference market price is not the same as an available swap quote, and your wallet may charge separately to send the deposit.
Swap pages related to this guide
Check a rate yourself
Requesting a quote costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You see the number before you decide.
Route availability, limits, timing and verification requirements vary by partner and jurisdiction. Review the live quote and the applicable route conditions before depositing.