Understanding gasless EVM transactions in Phantom
Gasless transactions let you swap on supported EVM networks without needing the network's native gas token in your wallet, for example ETH on Ethereum or Robinhood Chain, or USDC on Arc.
You may be offered a gasless swap even if you already have enough native gas token to cover the fee.
How gasless swaps work #
Depending on eligibility, Phantom uses one of three approaches:
- Phantom sponsors the fee. Phantom pays the network fee for you.
- Pay with a supported ERC-20 token you hold. If you have a supported token, such as a stablecoin (USDC, USDT, USDG) or WETH, Phantom can use that instead of the native gas token. Supported tokens vary by network, and Phantom selects one automatically from what's in your wallet.
Gasless swaps still incur real network fees. Phantom is either sponsoring them or collecting them in another token, not eliminating them.
Enable gasless transactions #
Phantom shows one of two prompts, depending on which fee mechanism applies:
- Sponsored fees. When Phantom covers the fee directly, it shows a "Sponsored fees" notice explaining that your balance doesn't cover the fee and Phantom can sponsor gas for eligible transactions. This still upgrades your account with smart account delegation. You can select Disable Gasless to opt out, or Okay to proceed.
- Paying with another token. When Phantom can cover the fee using a supported token from your wallet, it shows a brief notice confirming which token was selected, for example "You don't have enough ETH to cover the network fee, so it will be paid with USDG from your wallet instead." No separate approval step is needed; select Disable Gasless to opt out, or Okay to proceed.
About smart account delegation #
Upgrading your account delegates it to Alchemy's smart contract, which is what enables sponsored or alternate-token gas payments. Alchemy's implementation has been independently audited and is covered by a bug bounty program.
- Your wallet address stays the same, and you continue to control your assets. Upgrading is optional and only affects swaps. It does not make sends gasless.
- Delegation stays active until you change or remove it.
- A compromise of Alchemy's smart contract could put assets at risk; this is why the audit and bug bounty exist.
- The delegation uses the EIP-7702 Ethereum standard.
To remove delegation, go to Settings > Security & Privacy > Remove account delegation. After removing it, swaps return to the standard network fee model.