Does the recipient pay a fee to receive USDT or USDC?
From Who pays the gas fee on a stablecoin payment?, by Pavel Skalin. Updated .
The wider picture
The key points from the guide this answer comes from:
- The sender pays. Every USDT or USDC transfer pays a network fee from the sending wallet, and receiving costs nothing on the blockchain.
- The fee is paid in the network's own token, not in the stablecoin: ETH on Ethereum and Base, TRX on Tron, SOL on Solana. A wallet that holds only USDT can't send it without help.
- The fee depends on the network and the work the transfer does, not the amount. A first transfer to an address that has never held the token costs more.
- Someone else can pay it: a provider can sponsor the fee, and Align pays the network fee on USDC and USDT sent from an AlignPay balance.
More questions on this
- Why can't I send USDT from a wallet that has USDT in it?
- What happens if a transfer fails?
- Is the fee higher for a larger payment?
The full guide
The sender pays, in the network's own token: ETH, TRX, SOL, POL or AVAX, never the stablecoin. Receiving costs nothing on the blockchain, a first transfer to a new address costs more, and a provider can sponsor the fee.
Read Who pays the gas fee on a stablecoin payment?, with its sources.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources in the guide and take advice on your own situation.
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