The Real Cost of a Crypto Swap: Miner Fee + 0.5% + Spread
The real cost of a crypto swap is the network miner fee + CryptoNow's 0.5% system fee + the swap provider's rate spread — three separate components, not one headline percentage. Treating a swap as if it costs a single headline percentage understates what you actually pay, because the provider's exchange-rate spread and the blockchain miner fee both sit on top of the 0.5% system fee.
A crypto swap is an exchange of one cryptocurrency for another. With CryptoNow, swaps run on mainnet through the integrated SwapSpace engine, with Allbridge Core handling stablecoin swaps.
What Are the Three Components of a Swap's Cost?
Every swap you run carries three distinct costs. Reading them separately is the only way to know your true rate.
- Miner fee: The blockchain network fee for the on-chain transactions. It varies with network load and is not a CryptoNow charge.
- System fee (0.5%): CryptoNow's commission on the swap. For a swap, you pay the miner fee and the system fee, just as you would on a withdrawal.
- Provider rate spread: The difference between the mid-market rate and the rate the swap partner offers. This is set by the partner, not by CryptoNow, and it is where most of the "hidden" cost of a swap lives.
Because of the third component, two swaps with the same 0.5% system fee can deliver very different amounts of the target asset. The spread is the variable to watch.
How Does CryptoNow Price a Swap?
CryptoNow does not run its own order book; it surfaces offers from swap partners through SwapSpace and lets you choose. When you create a swap, you enter the amount and the assets, then view a list of offers. Each offer shows:
- Rate: The amount of the target currency you receive.
- ETA: How long the swap is expected to take.
- Partner: The exchange service fulfilling the swap.
- Support Rate: How responsive that partner is if a problem arises.
- TrustScore: The partner's overall Trustpilot-based rating.
You can sort offers by Rate or ETA and filter by rate type. The best offer sits at the top of the list, and the list refreshes every 15 seconds.
Floating Rate vs Fixed Rate: Which Costs More?
The rate type changes both your cost and your certainty.
| Rate type | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Floating | The classic rate; it can move during the swap, so you may receive more or fewer coins than estimated | Often a tighter spread, but the final amount is not guaranteed |
| Fixed | The partner freezes the rate for a set window (15 to 120 minutes depending on the service) and you receive the estimated amount | Removes rate risk, usually at a slightly wider spread |
Choosing a fixed rate protects you from market volatility during the swap; choosing a floating rate accepts that the amount received may change. Neither changes CryptoNow's 0.5% system fee — that component is the same on every swap.
How Do I See the Most I Can Swap?
When you select a wallet, a Max button appears. It calculates the maximum swap amount for that wallet after accounting for the system fee on tokens, and the miner fee plus system fee on a native currency. Using Max is the cleanest way to avoid an under-funded swap, because the estimate already nets out the costs you would otherwise have to calculate by hand. Swaps run on mainnet only — the swap screen will prompt you to switch if you are on a test network.
How CryptoNow Keeps Swap Costs Transparent
CryptoNow's design exposes each cost component rather than burying it in one number:
- The system fee is fixed at 0.5% and is the same regardless of which assets you swap.
- The miner fee is shown as a separate, network-determined cost.
- The provider's rate and spread are visible in the offer list before you commit, alongside that partner's TrustScore and ETA.
- Auto-swap can convert incoming deposits to a preferred asset automatically once they arrive, with autosign handling the signing. Disabling autosign would stop swaps from processing, so it stays on by default.
For brokers and operators routing high volumes between assets, this transparency matters as much as the headline rate — especially for high-risk merchants comparing gateways. You can run swaps from the automatic crypto swaps feature and see all fees on the pricing page.
FAQ
What is the true cost of a crypto swap with CryptoNow?
It is the network miner fee plus CryptoNow's 0.5% system fee plus the swap provider's rate spread. The 0.5% is only one of three components, so the total is always more than a single percentage.
Why isn't a swap just 0.5%?
Because the 0.5% is only CryptoNow's system fee. The blockchain miner fee and the swap partner's rate spread are additional, and the spread in particular varies by partner and market conditions.
What is the difference between a fixed and floating swap rate?
A floating rate can change during the swap, so you may receive more or fewer coins than estimated. A fixed rate is frozen by the partner for 15 to 120 minutes, and you receive the estimated amount.
Which swap engine does CryptoNow use?
Swaps run through SwapSpace, with Allbridge Core handling stablecoin swaps, on mainnet only. CryptoNow surfaces partner offers with Rate, ETA, Support Rate, and TrustScore so you can choose.
How do I avoid under-funding a swap?
Use the Max button after selecting a wallet. It calculates the maximum swap amount after netting out the system fee and, for native currencies, the miner fee.
To convert assets with every cost shown up front, see automatic crypto swaps, and compare it with how crypto mass payouts work.
