Stablecoin Cross-Border Transfer Fees Too High? Must-Learn Money-Saving Secrets for 2025

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When conducting stablecoin cross-border transfers, have you ever been troubled by high fees? The money-saving secret is actually very simple: choose the right blockchain network. For example, transferring via Ethereum (ERC20) network may cost you 5 to 20 USD, but choosing Tron (TRC20) network, fees are usually less than 1 USD. This choice not only has extremely low costs, but transfer confirmation time is often less than 1 minute.

Did you know? In 2024, global stablecoin transaction volume has reached 5.7 trillion USD. With such enormous transaction scale, mastering money-saving techniques is particularly important.

Key Takeaways

• Choosing the right blockchain network can save a lot of money. Tron (TRC20) network is much cheaper than Ethereum (ERC20) network.
• Understand where transfer fees come from. Fees mainly include network fees, platform fees, and exchange fees.
• Using exchange internal transfer function can achieve zero-fee transfers. If the recipient is on the same platform as you, this is a good method.
• Before transferring, be sure to carefully check if the receiving address and network match. Choosing the wrong network will cause permanent fund loss.
• Besides choosing TRC20 network, you can also save money by using platform promotions and transferring during low network congestion periods.

Understanding Fee Structure and Choosing the Optimal Network

To become a money-saving expert, you first need to understand exactly where each transfer fee is spent. When conducting a stablecoin cross-border transfer, the fees you pay are not a single item but composed of multiple parts. Mastering the fee sources makes choosing the optimal network easy.

Where Do USDT Transfer Fees Come From

The USDT transfer fees you pay can usually be broken down into the following core parts:

• Network Fee: This is the main part. You pay this fee to miners or validators on the blockchain network who process and confirm your transaction. This fee is also called “Gas fee” (on Ethereum network) or “energy/bandwidth” consumption (on Tron network).
• Platform Fee: The cryptocurrency exchange or wallet app you use may charge a fixed withdrawal fee or service fee on top of the network fee.
• Conversion Fee: If you need to exchange USDT for fiat currency (such as USD) or other cryptocurrencies, additional fees will be incurred in this process.

Core Knowledge: What is Network Fee? Think of it as highway tolls. Each blockchain network (highway) has its own charging standard. Your transaction (car) needs to pay a fee to travel on this road and be confirmed delivered to the destination. The fee level depends on how busy the road is and the construction and maintenance costs.

On the Ethereum network, this fee is calculated via “Gas.” The formula is simple: Total Gas Fee = Gas Price × Gas Used Here, “Gas Used” represents transaction complexity, while “Gas Price” is the unit price you are willing to pay for transaction processing, fluctuating in real time based on network congestion.

On the Tron network, fees are determined by two resources: “Energy” and “Bandwidth.” Each transaction consumes a certain amount of resources. If your account lacks free or staked resources, the system automatically burns TRX tokens to pay, but total fees are usually far lower than Ethereum network.

Mainstream USDT Network Fee Comparison

Since the network is key to determining fees, which network is the most cost-effective? Currently, USDT mainly runs on multiple blockchain networks, with Ethereum (ERC20) and Tron (TRC20) being the most popular. In fact, about half of the total USDT market cap issued by Tether circulates on the TRC20 network, proving its mainstream status and wide acceptance.

Let’s intuitively compare their fee differences via a table:

From the table, it is clear that TRC20 network has unparalleled advantages in fees and speed. When transferring 1,000 USDT, choosing ERC20 may require up to 20 USD in fees, while TRC20 usually only needs about 1 USD, directly saving you 95% in costs.

In real cross-border scenarios, the network fee is only one part of the total bill; you still need a practical way to land USDT into local currency. Multi-asset wallets such as BiyaPay often use TRC20 as the primary rail and then connect it with payout flows, so low on-chain costs and smoother local settlement can be combined in a single route.

Before you send, you can use BiyaPay’s online fiat FX converter to estimate the effective rate from USDT into your target currency, breaking out on-chain fees, spread at the cash-out point, and platform charges. This makes it easier to compare different paths instead of focusing only on the blockchain fee.

When funds ultimately need to reach overseas family members or suppliers, BiyaPay’s cross-border remittance flow allows you to initiate the payout directly from the same wallet. BiyaPay operates under licences such as US MSB and New Zealand FSP registrations, so users can optimise fee structures while still moving funds through compliant, security-focused rails suitable for recurring international transfers.

Practical Guide: How to Choose TRC20 Network

With theoretical knowledge mastered, let’s enter the practical phase. Almost all mainstream cryptocurrency exchanges (such as Binance, OKX) support USDT withdrawal on TRC20 network. The operation process is similar, with the key being correctly selecting the network during withdrawal.

Here are the steps for withdrawing USDT on Binance and choosing TRC20 network:

1. Log in to your Binance account, go to the “Assets” page, and click “Withdraw.”
2. Choose the withdrawal coin as “USDT.”
3. In the “Address” field, paste your recipient’s USDT address.
4. Key Step: In the “Network” option, select TRC20 (Tron) from the dropdown. At this point, you will see the estimated fee significantly reduced.
5. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw, verify all information is correct, then click “Withdraw” and complete security verification.

Here are the steps for withdrawing USDT on OKX and choosing TRC20 network:

1. Log in to your OKX account, hover over “Assets,” and click “Withdraw.”
2. Choose the withdrawal coin as “USDT,” and withdrawal method as “On-Chain Withdrawal.”
3. Key Step: In the “Withdrawal Network” option, choose USDT-TRC20.
4. Paste the receiving address and enter the withdrawal amount.
5. Check the fee details, confirm no issues, then submit the request and complete verification.

⚠️ Important Tip: Must Verify Network Consistency Before transferring, you must confirm multiple times that the receiving address and selected network match. For example, you cannot send USDT via TRC20 network to an ERC20 address. Wrong network selection will cause your assets to be permanently lost and unrecoverable.

Advanced Money-Saving Techniques for Stablecoin Cross-Border Transfers

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You have mastered the core money-saving method of choosing TRC20 network. Now, let’s learn some advanced techniques to help you achieve “discount on discount” on low fees, reducing costs to the minimum.

Technique One: Use Exchange Internal Transfer for Zero Fees

If you and the recipient happen to use the same trading platform, you can use the “internal transfer” function to achieve completely zero-fee transfers.

The principle of this function is simple. It is like a transfer between two accounts in the same bank; funds are only transferred on the platform’s internal ledger and do not go through the public blockchain network. Therefore, it has two major advantages:

• Zero Fees: Since no on-chain operation is involved, the platform does not charge any network fees.
• Instant Arrival: Transfers are almost instantaneous, without waiting for blockchain confirmation.

Many platforms supporting fiat and cryptocurrency exchange provide this function. Take Biyapay as an example; you can easily send stablecoins to another Biyapay user via its internal transfer function, with the entire process incurring no fees.

Operation Scenario: Suppose you need to pay 1,000 USDT to a friend who also uses Biyapay. You just open the app, choose internal transfer, enter the other party’s registered email or phone number and amount, click confirm. This 1,000 USDT will immediately appear in the other party’s account, and you pay no fees.

Similarly, the large exchange Binance also provides a similar function called “Binance Pay.” It allows Binance users to conduct borderless, zero-fee instant cryptocurrency payments and supports over 300 cryptocurrencies.

To use Binance Pay, follow these steps:

1. In the Binance App, find and enter the “Pay” function.
2. Choose “Send.”
3. Enter the recipient’s registered email, phone number, or Binance user ID (Pay ID).
4. Choose the coin (such as USDT) and enter the amount.
5. Confirm information and complete security verification; transfer completes instantly.

Ultimate Money-Saving Rule: If conditions allow, have your counterparty use the same platform as you. This is the most effective way to achieve zero-cost stablecoin cross-border transfers.

Technique Two: Seize Low Network Congestion Periods

This technique mainly applies to networks with large fee fluctuations, such as Ethereum (ERC20). Although we prefer TRC20, in scenarios where ERC20 must be used, choosing the right transfer timing can save you a lot of money.

Blockchain network fees (Gas fees) are directly related to network congestion. You can imagine it as ride-hailing apps during peak hours; the higher the demand, the higher the price.

As shown in the table, ERC20 network fees fluctuate greatly. On the Tron network, although fees may briefly rise during DeFi activity surges, its scalable design keeps the fee cap far below Ethereum. Even so, conducting TRC20 transfers during off-peak periods (such as early morning UTC) still offers a chance to save 20-30% in fees.

So, how do you judge if the network is congested? You can use some professional Gas fee tracking tools:

• gasfees.org: Provides real-time Gas fee data for over 27 blockchain networks including Ethereum.
• Blocknative Gas Estimator: Provides browser plugin to track ETH Gas fees in real time and even alert you when your set price arrives.
• cryptonews.com Gas Tracker: Also provides real-time Gas prices and gives fee-saving suggestions.

Before conducting a non-TRC20 network transfer, open these tools to check current “traffic conditions.” If fees are too high, wait a few hours and operate during periods of lower network activity.

Technique Three: Make Good Use of Platform Points and Coupons

Besides directly reducing single transaction costs, you can also indirectly save money by utilizing various platform promotions. This is like using coupons when shopping at the supermarket; although unnoticeable, it saves a lot over time.

Many trading platforms launch various reward programs to attract and retain users. You need to actively pay attention and utilize them.

• Subscribe to Membership Services: Some platforms offer paid membership services. For example, Coinbase launched “Coinbase One” subscription service; members enjoy zero trading fees and other benefits after paying a monthly fee. If your trading frequency is high, such services may save you more.
• Promotions and Reward Activities: Always watch your platform’s “Announcements” or “Activity Center.” Platforms (such as KuCoin) often launch short-term promotions like trading fee discounts, withdrawal fee reduction coupons, etc.
• Points or Tier System: Check if the platform has a VIP tier system. Usually, the higher your trading volume or platform coin holdings, the higher the tier, and the more withdrawal fee discounts you enjoy.

Although these techniques are not as immediately effective as choosing TRC20 network to save 95% in fees, they are your advanced path from “saving money” to “penny-pinching.” Developing the habit of regularly checking platform promotions ensures every penny is well spent.

Future-Oriented Advanced Strategies and New Choices

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Once you are proficient in TRC20 network and internal transfers, you can start exploring more cutting-edge strategies. These methods will help you maintain cost advantages in future stablecoin cross-border transfers.

Explore Layer2 Networks: Balancing Security and Low Cost

You may have heard that Ethereum network fees are high, but its security is recognized. Layer2 networks were born to solve this contradiction. You can think of it as a high-speed auxiliary road built beside the Ethereum main road; it inherits the main road’s security but has less traffic and cheaper tolls.

Arbitrum and Optimism are currently the two most popular Layer2 networks. Both allow you to enjoy Ethereum-level security while paying extremely low fees.

Choosing Layer2 networks means you don’t have to make tough choices between security and cost.

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Use Batch Transfer Function to Reduce Total Costs

If you need to pay USDT to multiple addresses at once, such as paying employee salaries or to multiple partners, using the “batch transfer” function can save you a lot of fees. The principle of this function is to package multiple transfers into one transaction for execution on the blockchain.

Amazing savings effect: Data shows that the cost of sending 10 transactions separately can be 5 to 7 times that of batch transfer. Using batch transfer function, you can easily save 70-80% in Gas fees.

Many decentralized applications (dApps) and services (such as MultiSender) specifically provide such functions. You just need to submit the recipient address and amount list at once, and the system generates an aggregated transaction for you. This not only saves fees but also greatly improves efficiency.

Focus on Specific Ecosystem Stablecoins: PYUSD as Example

Besides choosing networks, focusing on specific ecosystem stablecoins issued by large tech companies is a new trend. PayPal-issued PYUSD is a typical example.

PYUSD’s biggest advantage is its deep integration with the PayPal payment network. This means if you and the recipient are both in the PayPal ecosystem, your PYUSD transfers between you can achieve instant arrival and completely free.

PYUSD is very suitable for cross-border payments, as it enables faster, cheaper, and more efficient transactions, free from the hassle of traditional currency exchange procedures, especially in international remittances and payments.

This model provides you with a brand-new zero-cost transfer option, especially suitable for users with existing PayPal accounts. Although transferring PYUSD out of the PayPal network to public chains still requires paying blockchain network fees, its free feature within the ecosystem is highly attractive.

You have now mastered the money-saving core for stablecoin cross-border transfers. Remember, preferring TRC20 network is the current most effective first principle. Combining advanced techniques like using exchange internal transfers and exploring Layer2 networks will further reduce your costs.

Forget traditional international wire transfers with fees up to 50 USD. After mastering new methods, your stablecoin transaction costs can usually be below 0.1 USD.

Start acting now! Apply this knowledge to your next transfer and enjoy the new experience of low cost and high efficiency.

FAQ

Why is TRC20 So Much Cheaper Than ERC20?

TRC20 network (Tron) is designed to handle large volumes of transactions, so it is more efficient and lower cost. ERC20 network (Ethereum) focuses more on decentralization and security; when the network is busy, competition for transaction processing pushes fees up. You can think of TRC20 as a wide and cheap highway.

What Happens If I Accidentally Choose the Wrong Network?

⚠️ This is an extremely serious operational error. If you send assets to a mismatched network address (for example, sending via TRC20 network to ERC20 address), your funds will be permanently lost and almost impossible to recover. Be sure to confirm network consistency multiple times before transferring.

What If the Recipient Only Provides an ERC20 Address?

You cannot directly transfer via TRC20 to that address. The best method is to communicate with the recipient. You can request them to provide a TRC20 address or suggest both parties use the same platform supporting internal transfers (such as Binance Pay), achieving zero-fee instant transfers.