One of the biggest advantages of accepting cryptocurrency is lower fees compared to traditional payment methods. But crypto fees can be confusing—there are network fees, gateway fees, and different costs depending on which blockchain you use.

This guide breaks it all down.

Types of Crypto Payment Fees

When accepting crypto payments, you'll encounter two types of fees:

1. Network Fees (Gas Fees)

Every blockchain transaction requires a fee paid to the network validators (miners or stakers) who process the transaction. This is called a network fee or gas fee.

Network fees vary by:

Blockchain used (Bitcoin vs Ethereum vs TRON)
Network congestion (more users = higher fees)
Transaction complexity (simple transfers vs smart contracts)

2. Payment Gateway Fees

If you use a payment gateway like PayCoinPro, there's typically a percentage fee on each transaction. This covers:

Infrastructure costs
Webhook notifications
Dashboard and reporting
Customer support

PayCoinPro charges 1% on successful transactions with no monthly fees.

Fee Comparison by Blockchain

Here's what you can expect for network fees when receiving payments:

Blockchain	Typical Fee	Speed	Notes
TRON (TRX)	$0.10-0.50	~3 min	Best for USDT
BSC (BNB Chain)	$0.05-0.20	~15 sec	Low and fast
Polygon	$0.01-0.05	~2 sec	Very cheap
Solana	$0.001-0.01	~1 sec	Extremely cheap
Ethereum	$1-20	~15 sec	Varies wildly
Bitcoin	$1-10	~10 min	Depends on congestion

For merchants accepting stablecoins, TRON and BSC offer the best balance of low fees and liquidity.

Who Pays the Network Fee?

This depends on the transaction type:

When a Customer Pays You

The customer pays the network fee from their wallet. You receive the full invoice amount.

When You Withdraw

You pay the network fee when moving funds from your merchant balance to your personal wallet.

When Funds Are Swept

With PayCoinPro, incoming payments are automatically swept to your hot wallet. We cover these internal fees—they're included in the 1% transaction fee.

How PayCoinPro Fees Work

Let's walk through a real example:

Scenario: A customer pays a $100 invoice in USDT on TRON.

Customer sends 100 USDT from their wallet
Customer pays ~$0.30 TRON network fee
You receive 100 USDT in your PayCoinPro balance
PayCoinPro deducts 1% fee ($1.00)
Your net balance: $99.00

When you withdraw to your wallet: 6. You request withdrawal of $99.00 USDT 7. Network fee (~$0.30) is deducted 8. You receive $98.70 in your wallet

Total cost: $1.30 (1.3%)

Compare this to PayPal at 2.9% + $0.30 = $3.20 on the same transaction.

Comparing to Traditional Payment Methods

Method	Fee on $100	Fee on $1,000	Fee on $10,000
PayCoinPro (1%)	$1.30	$10.30	$100.30
PayPal (2.9% + $0.30)	$3.20	$29.30	$290.30
Stripe (2.9% + $0.30)	$3.20	$29.30	$290.30
Wire Transfer	$25-50	$25-50	$25-50

For amounts over ~$1,700, crypto becomes cheaper than wire transfers too.

Tips to Minimize Fees

1. Encourage Low-Fee Networks

When creating invoices, suggest customers use networks with lower fees:

TRON for USDT
BSC for BNB-chain tokens
Polygon for MATIC and USDC

2. Batch Withdrawals

Instead of withdrawing every payment, let your balance accumulate and withdraw weekly or monthly. You pay the network fee once instead of multiple times.

3. Accept Stablecoins

Stablecoins on Layer 2 networks (Polygon, BSC, TRON) are significantly cheaper than Bitcoin or Ethereum mainnet.

4. Time Your Withdrawals

Network fees fluctuate throughout the day. For Ethereum, fees are typically lower during off-peak hours (US nights, weekends).

5. Use the Growth Plan

If you're processing significant volume, PayCoinPro's Growth plan reduces fees to 0.75%. This makes sense if you're processing more than a few thousand dollars monthly.

Hidden Fees to Watch For

Some payment gateways have hidden fees. Here's what to ask:

Setup fees - PayCoinPro: None
Monthly fees - PayCoinPro: None
Withdrawal fees - PayCoinPro: Network fees only
Currency conversion fees - PayCoinPro: None (you receive what customers send)
Chargeback fees - PayCoinPro: N/A (crypto has no chargebacks)

Real-World Cost Analysis

Let's compare costs for a freelancer billing $5,000/month:

PayPal

Fee: $5,000 × 2.9% + $0.30 = $145.30
Annual cost: $1,743.60

Wire Transfer (4 payments)

Fee: 4 × $40 = $160
Annual cost: $1,920

PayCoinPro

Fee: $5,000 × 1% = $50
Withdrawal fees (4×): 4 × $0.50 = $2
Monthly cost: $52
Annual cost: $624

Annual savings vs PayPal: $1,119.60

Summary

Fee Type	Who Pays	Amount
Network fee (incoming)	Customer	Varies by blockchain
Gateway fee	Merchant	1% (PayCoinPro)
Network fee (withdrawal)	Merchant	Varies by blockchain

The total cost to accept crypto payments is typically 1-1.5%, compared to 2.9-4% for traditional processors.

Ready to save on payment fees? Create your free PayCoinPro account and start accepting crypto today.

Understanding Crypto Payment Fees: A Complete Breakdown