Guide · Fees

How XAUConnect fees work

Written by XAUConnect Labs · Reviewed against live product behavior · Updated August 2026

Three different costs hide inside a “simple swap”: the liquidity-provider fee inside each pool, the network gas paid to validators, and XAUConnect’s platform fee, which defaults to 30 basis points (0.30%) on configured EVM routers unless the in-app quote says otherwise. Mixing those three numbers is how people conclude an aggregator is “expensive” when they actually paid Ethereum base fee during a blob-fee spike.

This guide unpacks each line as it appears on the XAUConnect quote card, where the platform fee lands on-chain, and when paying that fee in USDC is cheaper than burning extra native gas token dust.

The three fee layers

Pool (LP) fees are baked into the AMM curve — commonly 0.05%, 0.30%, or 1.00% per hop on Uniswap-style pools, with different schedules on other venues. You do not sign a separate “LP invoice”; the output amount is already net of those fees. Network gas is paid in the chain’s native asset (ETH, BNB, POL, AVAX, SOL, …) to validators. Failed EVM transactions still consume gas. Solana uses a small base fee plus an optional priority fee when the network is busy. The platform fee is XAUConnect’s disclosed cut for aggregation and routing. On EVM deployments it is enforced by the FeeCollector / AggregatorRouter contracts (Polygon FeeCollector proxy `0xa5e0A97385278Dae82f4BdFD59Ad8939917D0ec0` among others). It is not hidden in slippage.

Where to read the number before you sign

The quote card shows estimated output, minimum received, platform fee, and a gas estimate. If those four are not visible, do not sign. Integrator routes (1inch/0x partner parameters, Jupiter) may add their own partner fee on top — that should also appear in the breakdown. There is no “deposit address” and no surprise invoice after settlement.

Paying the platform fee in USDC

On supported EVM chains you can pay the platform fee in USDC instead of having it taken from the native gas token or the input asset. That is useful when you are swapping an alt and do not want leftover dust in ETH, or when you already hold USDC for gas-adjacent costs. USDC-as-fee still requires you to hold (or receive) enough USDC of the correct contract on that chain. Native Circle USDC and a bridged USDC.e are not interchangeable — see the companion article on native vs bridged stables.

Gas vs platform fee: a worked comparison

Suppose you swap $1,000 of a liquid pair on Arbitrum. A 30 bps platform fee is $3. L2 gas might be a few cents. The LP fee on a 5 bps pool is $0.50. Total friction is dominated by the platform fee, which you can compare against a CEX withdrawal fee or a single-DEX UI that looks “free” while hiding worse price impact. On Ethereum mainnet the ranking often flips: a $8–$40 gas bill can dwarf a $3 platform fee. That is why the same trade is cheaper on Base or Arbitrum even when the pool fee is identical.

What we do not charge

There is no account fee, no withdrawal fee (there is nothing to withdraw), and no custody fee. Quotes are free. The public Swap API does not require a key for quote and build. Optional client identification headers are for analytics attribution, not billing.

Legal

Risk disclosure

XAUConnect is a non-custodial swap aggregator. Digital assets are volatile and may lose value rapidly. Content on this page is educational and not investment advice. Verify every contract address on the official block explorer before approving a transaction.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 0.30% fee negotiable for bots?

Displayed fees follow the on-chain FeeCollector configuration and quote response. Integrators should read the live quote rather than hard-coding 30 bps in a bot. Changes are shown in-app before sign, not after.

Why did I pay gas on a failed swap?

On most EVM chains, validators keep gas for work even if the swap reverts (slippage, insufficient allowance, or a paused pool). The platform fee is not taken on a revert because the swap never succeeded.

Does Solana use the same FeeCollector?

Solana fee collection uses a published Solana fee wallet, not the EVM FeeCollector proxy. The quote still discloses the platform line before you sign.

Are quotes free?

Yes. You pay only if you sign and the swap (or bridge leg) executes, plus any network gas for attempts that revert on EVM.

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