How to pick a network so the fee does not eat the payout

Updated 22 September 2026 · compiled by the editorial team from the services' own pages

The network decides what is left after the fee. Sending USDT over TRC-20 and over ERC-20 is the same coin and a different bill, and on small amounts the difference is the whole point of the swap.

• TRC-20 — cheapest for stablecoins, fast.
• BEP-20 — cheap, wide support.
• ERC-20 — most compatible, the most expensive at peak hours.

The receiving wallet decides for you: send to an address on a network it does not support and the coins are gone. Check the network in the wallet first, then pick it in the swap.

Check before you send

• The wallet supports the network you are about to pick — this is the one check that cannot be undone later.
• The memo or tag is filled where the chain needs one — a transfer without it lands nowhere.
• The fee estimate is compared with the amount, not with the rate — on small transfers the chain costs more than the spread.

Mistakes that cost the most

• Picking ERC-20 by habit on a small stablecoin transfer. The network fee can take more than the swap itself.
• Sending to an exchange deposit address on the wrong chain. Recovery is a support case at best and a loss at worst.

Questions

Which network is cheapest for stablecoins?

TRC-20 and BEP-20 are the usual answer; the exact number depends on the hour, not on the service.

Does the service choose the network for me?

It offers what it supports — the receiving wallet decides which of those will actually work.

Services that support this