Why you need TRX to send USDT TRC20
USDT on TRON is cheap to send, but only if your wallet has TRX, energy or bandwidth. How TRON fees work and how to avoid a failed transfer.
USDT TRC20 is a token on the TRON network. Every transfer of it is a smart contract call, and TRON charges for that call not in USDT, but in network resources: energy and bandwidth. If your wallet has neither the resources nor TRX to pay for them, the transfer cannot be sent.
Energy, bandwidth and TRX
Bandwidth
Pays for the size of the transaction. An account gets a small amount of free bandwidth every day.
Energy
Pays for executing the token contract. A USDT transfer needs a noticeable amount of energy.
TRX
If the account does not have enough energy or bandwidth, the network burns TRX from the same account to cover the difference.
Why the cost differs from transfer to transfer
Sending USDT to an address that has never held USDT usually needs more energy than sending to an address that already holds it. Network parameters also change over time, so check the fee your wallet shows before you confirm.
How to avoid a failed transfer
- Keep some TRX in the same wallet you send USDT from.
- If you send often, energy can be obtained by staking TRX in your wallet or rented from third-party services.
- If you withdraw from an exchange account, the exchange pays the network fee itself and charges you its own withdrawal fee instead.
The network fee for your own transfer is charged by your wallet or exchange and is not included in the exchange estimate.
Directions with USDT TRC20: USDT TRC20 → BTC, USDT TRC20 → TON, USDT TRC20 → USDT ERC20. See also TRC20 vs ERC20.
Terms in this guide
Energy and bandwidth (TRON)
TRON network resources that pay for transactions. A USDT TRC20 transfer uses energy and bandwidth; if the account does not have enough, the network burns TRX to cover the difference.
Network fee
A fee paid to the network for processing a transfer, in the native coin of the network: TRX, ETH, BNB, SOL, TON and others. The network fee for your own transfer is charged by your wallet or exchange and is not included in the estimate.
Token
An asset created on top of a network, such as USDT on TRON or on Ethereum. A token uses the addresses of its network, and the network fee for sending it is paid in the native coin of that network.