USDT (Tether) is one of the most widely used cryptocurrencies due to its price stability and familiar unit of account equated to the dollar. Nevertheless, there is a commission for transferring USDT to other wallets, so before making a transaction, you need to understand the stable coins' sending value.
In this article, we will tell you how much sending USDT costs and how Tether transfer fees are formed.
What Is A USDT Network Fee?
The USDT network fee is the amount of commission charged by the network for coin transactions. The fee is paid by the sender, as a rule, but sometimes it may be paid by the receiver, or by the sender and receiver together. Although fees are an additional cost for the network participants, they are essential for successful transactions. Let's find out why it’s necessary to pay fees for sending USDT:
Security of the network. Blockchain fees prevent malicious activities and spam transactions. Network participants use blockchain resources more carefully and responsibly by paying a fee.
Maintaining network stability. Commissions can manage network congestion. For example, at a sharp increase in the transactions’ number that occurs at times of high activity, fees reduce the amount of spam and prioritize transaction executions.
Resource management. In some blockchains, including TRON, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain, fees are charged in the network's own cryptocurrency (TRX, ETH and BNB, respectively). This money covers the cost of the network's resources used, such as data storage, processing power, and bandwidth.
Economic incentives. Fees are incentives for miners and validators who process transactions on the network. So, commissions motivate them to maintain the functionality and reliability of blockchains.
How Is The Transfer Fee Determined?
Before you transfer USDT, you need to understand what transfer fees may be associated with. It will help you calculate the approximate cost of the fees charged.The bulk of the costs include network fees and foreign exchange fees. However, the list of determining factors that affect the final cost is much longer. Let's take a closer look at them:
1. Transaction amount. The more the USDT amount sent, the higher the fee is, especially if the exchange fees are calculated in a percentage structure.
2. Exchange rate fluctuations. The fiat value of USDT coins can change depending on the exchange rate to the dollar, which can also increase the fees.
3. Blockchain protocol. Commissions for USDT also vary depending on the network used. For example, the Ethereum network (ERC-20 protocol) will have higher commissions than the TRON one (TRC-20 protocol) due to additional gas fees.
4. Smart contract issue. If the transfer is executed using smart contracts, this fact can increase the final cost.
5. Exchange fees. These are additional fees charged by the cryptocurrency exchange or other cryptocurrency platform where the transfer is made. The amount of these commissions ranges from 0.1 to 5%, depending on the exchange's policy.
6. Transaction speed. Choosing a higher transaction speed for sending increases the network commission, as it entails the gas price raise.
7. Blockchain congestion. High network traffic can make network fees grow, so transferring USDT during off hours is more favorable.
8. Market conditions. Network fees are also affected by the overall dynamics of the cryptocurrency market, directly impacting blockchain activity.
Each of the above factors significantly affects the cost of sending USDT, so they should be taken into account for more favorable transactions. Close attention should also be paid to the choice of the platform on which the transfer is made.
For example, on the Cryptomus payment gateway you will not have to pay commissions when sending funds within the platform. Moreover, on Cryptomus, you can work not only with USDT but also with 20 other cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Solana and others.
Fee Amounts Of Different Networks
Now you know that the fees for USDT transactions vary for a number of reasons, including on the used blockchain network. It is devoted to the capabilities of each network and their functionality.
The table below shows the fees for sending USDT on the most popular networks - TRON, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain.
| Network | USDT Token Standard (Protocol) | Fee Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRON | USDT Token Standard (Protocol) TRC-20 | Fee Amount 0.315 $ | |
| Ethereum | USDT Token Standard (Protocol) ERC-20 | Fee Amount 1.125 $ | |
| Binance Smart Chain (BSC) | USDT Token Standard (Protocol) BEP-20 | Fee Amount 0.053 $ |
The specified USDT standard transfer fees are only the total cost fraction, which is finalized by other network features. We suggest you explore each network's fee policy in more detail in order to complete your transactions more efficiently.
USDT TRC-20 Fee
The TRC-20 is one of the most profitable token protocols. It is connected to the high speed of transaction processing (1000 transactions per second) and the resulting lack of network congestion. It eliminates the need for the network to raise commissions, that is why the TRC-20 fee size itself is only 0.315 $ and does not exceed 2 $.
USDT ERC-20 Fee
On the Ethereum blockchain, USDT is issued in the ERC-20 format, which is compatible with a wide range of wallets and dApps. In comparison with TRC-20, the ERC-20 protocol has a slower transaction processing speed of 15 operations per second, which leads to high network congestion. ERC-20 fees are also growing because of it - the initial fee is 1.125 $, but can reach up to 30 $. That is why the Ethereum network is considered the most expensive in terms of commissions.
USDT BEP-20 Fee
BEP-20 is a protocol of the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) network that works in conjunction with the Binance Chain. The latter is designed specially for high-speed trading with excellent bandwidth. At the same time, ensuring the execution of smart contracts by the BSC network further optimizes all USDT token transactions in the network. For this reason, BEP-20 fees are considered the lowest compared to TRC-20 and ERC-20: they equal 0.053 $ and don’t exceed 1 $, as a rule.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Send USDT?
TRC-20 and BEP-20 are currently the cheapest protocols for USDT transfers due to the low network fees. Nevertheless, always take into account exchange fees and market conditions, in general.These points can also affect the commission amount.
Whatever network you use, try to make your transactions as profitable as possible for yourself. Use our recommendations to help you do it:
Transact at off-peak times. Send the crypto when the network is least congested. It usually happens during off hours. Read expert articles and forecasts to anticipate the best time to make transactions.
Do transfers in "packages". Combine several transfers into one, if it’s possible. In this way, you can get privileges such as a discount as a large trader.
Use a favorable exchange or payment provider. Look for platforms that offer low or zero USDT withdrawal fees. For example, Cryptomus does not charge a conversion fee at all.
There may be fees of varying amounts for sending USDT, but these costs can be minimized in case you take the right approach to the transaction. So, if you choose a cost-effective network and compare exchange fees, you can save a lot of money on your coin transfers. Try to consider the circ*mstances of your specific transaction to find the cheapest way to send USDT.
Thank you for reading the article! We hope this guide has helped you understand the features of USDT transfer fees, and now you know how to perform the transaction in the most profitable way. If you still have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.
