What are network fees, and who pays them when I buy with crypto? – Genghis

A network fee, also called gas, is what a blockchain charges to process a transfer, and you pay it as the sender through your wallet or exchange.

The fee comes on top of the amount you send and goes to the network, not to Genghis. As of September 25, 2026, the checkout adds its own network cost on two options only, USDT on Tron and Monero, and shows it before you choose. If an exchange takes its fee out of the amount, the order is paid short.

By Claudio Cuccovillo, founder of Genghis. Last updated: September 26, 2026.

What is a network fee?

A network fee is the payment a blockchain takes to include your transfer in a block. Each network sets it its own way (checked September 25, 2026):

Ethereum calls it gas. It is paid in ETH and quoted in gwei, a billionth of an ETH: a base fee that is burned, plus an optional tip to the validator, according to ethereum.org.
Bitcoin charges by the transaction's size in bytes, not by the amount sent, and the fee rises and falls with demand for block space, according to bitcoin.org.
Tron meters bandwidth and energy. A USDT transfer uses energy as well as bandwidth, and what the account lacks is paid by burning TRX, according to Tron's developer documentation and MetaMask's help center.
Cardano fees follow a fixed formula, so the wallet can show the exact fee before you send, according to Cardano's documentation.

Fees move with demand, so this page gives no amounts. Your wallet or exchange shows the current fee before you confirm.

Who pays the network fee when I buy on Genghis?

You do, as the sender. Your wallet or exchange adds the fee when you send, and the fee goes to the network: the help centers of Trust Wallet, Ledger and Exodus each say their fees go to the network, not to the wallet (checked September 25, 2026).

The payment screen asks you to "Send exactly" the amount due, and the fee comes on top of it. As the screen puts it: if your wallet or exchange charges a sending fee, choose "recipient gets the full amount" or add the fee on top, so the full amount arrives.

Which coin pays the fee?

The network's own coin, not the token you send. Circle's developer documentation says USDC fees are paid in the chain's native coin, and wallet help pages say the same for other tokens (checked September 25, 2026).

You send	The fee is paid in
USDT or USDC on Ethereum	ETH
USDC on Base, or USDT or USDC on Arbitrum One or Optimism	ETH on that same network
USDT or USDC on BNB Smart Chain	BNB
USDT or USDC on Polygon	POL
USDT or USDC on Avalanche C-Chain	AVAX
USDT or USDC on Solana	SOL
USDT on Tron	TRX, or energy from staked TRX
USDC on Algorand	ALGO

Keep a little of that coin next to your stablecoin. On Ethereum, the fee is paid even when a transaction fails, according to ethereum.org. Fee details wallet by wallet: paying with MetaMask, paying with Trust Wallet and paying from a Ledger.

Does Genghis add a network cost at checkout?

On two options only, as of September 25, 2026: USDT on Tron and Monero (XMR). Every other coin and network at checkout adds none.

The network card shows the cost before you choose it, and the order summary includes it before you pay. This cost is separate from the fee your wallet or exchange charges. The amount in your coin also includes our exchange-rate margin, and you see the full amount before you pay. Details for each coin: paying with USDT, paying with Tron (TRX) and paying with Monero.

Why is a network grayed out at checkout?

Because your order is below that network's minimum amount. Pick another network or add to the order. Read why a network can be grayed out at checkout.

What happens if my exchange takes its fee from the amount?

Less arrives than the amount due, and the order does not complete on its own. The usual cause is an exchange that deducts its withdrawal fee from the amount you typed.

Before you send: choose "recipient gets the full amount", or add the fee on top of the amount shown. Exchanges process withdrawals on their own schedule, so start before the quote expires.
After a short payment: write to samantha@genghis.pro with your order number and the transaction hash (TxID). We handle it by email, case by case.

Read what to do when your payment says partially paid and what to check when you pay from an exchange.

How do I keep network fees down?

Pay from the network your coins already sit on, and read the fee your wallet shows before you confirm.

Skip extra transfers: moving coins to another network first means paying a second fee.
Layer 2 networks: Base and Arbitrum run on top of Ethereum at a fraction of the cost, but they are separate networks from Ethereum, according to ethereum.org. Pay on the one that holds your coins.
Bitcoin fee rate: a low fee rate can delay confirmation when blocks are full. If a payment sits unconfirmed, wait, or use replace-by-fee in your wallet if it supports it. Read what to do when a payment is stuck on pending.