Understanding Crypto Swap Fees: Service Fee, Gas, and Spread Explained
What fees do you actually pay when swapping crypto? Service fee, network gas, and spread — explained in plain terms with real examples.
Every crypto swap costs something. But the total cost is rarely just one number — it’s a combination of fees that vary by exchange, blockchain, and market conditions.
Here’s what you’re actually paying.
1. Service Fee (Exchange Fee)
This is the exchange’s cut — typically 0.5–1% of the swap amount.
| Exchange | Typical Service Fee |
|---|---|
| ChangeNOW | ~0.5% |
| StealthEX | ~0.5% |
| SimpleSwap | ~0.5% |
| LetsExchange | ~0.5% |
| FixedFloat | ~1–2% |
The fee is deducted from your output amount. If you swap 1 BTC and the service fee is 0.5%, you receive the equivalent of 0.995 BTC worth of the target currency.
2. Network Gas Fee
Every blockchain transaction costs a gas fee, paid to miners or validators — not the exchange. These vary by:
- Network: ETH gas is higher than SOL or BNB
- Time: Fees spike during network congestion
- Transaction type: Simple transfers cost less than smart contract calls
Rough gas fee ranges (May 2026):
- Bitcoin: $0.50–$5
- Ethereum: $1–$20
- Solana: < $0.01
- BNB Chain: $0.10–$0.50
3. Spread (Float Rate Exchanges)
If you use a float rate (rate locks only when the transaction confirms), the exchange builds a small spread into the rate to protect against price movement. This is typically 0.1–0.5% and is invisible — it’s baked into the displayed rate.
Fixed-rate swaps (where the rate is locked at order creation) usually have a slightly higher service fee to compensate.
How to Calculate Your Real Cost
Example: Swap 0.1 ETH to USDT on ChangeNOW
- Service fee: 0.5% → you lose 0.0005 ETH equivalent
- Network fee: ~$2 for ETH withdrawal
- Spread: ~0.2% built into the USDT rate
Total real cost: ~0.7% of the swap value
Tips to Minimize Fees
- Swap larger amounts — fixed gas fees become smaller as a percentage of the total
- Avoid ETH during peak hours (weekday evenings UTC)
- Use Solana or BNB pairs for cheap transfers — gas is negligible
- Compare widgets — rates vary. Use our compare pages to see both outputs side by side
Check real-time fees in the swap widget on any of our exchange guides.