USDC Transfer Fee on Ethereum: Live Gas Cost
Right now, to send USDC (ERC-20) on Ethereum mainnet costs about $0.012 at the standard gas price of 0.081 gwei.
USDC is an ERC-20 token, so sending it is a contract call rather than a plain transfer. Expect roughly 40,000 to 65,000 gas, with the upper end for recipients who do not yet hold USDC.
How the cost is calculated
Fee = gas used × gas price × ETH price. With the current standard price: 60,000 gas × 0.081 gwei = 0.00000485 ETH, which is $0.012 at $2,492 per ETH. Across the typical range of about 40,000 to 65,000 gas, the standard cost is between $0.0081 and $0.013.
How to pay less
- Circle supports native USDC on several layer-2 networks, where transfers cost a fraction of a cent.
- Batch payouts through a multisend contract if you pay many recipients.
- Check the cheapest hours to transact and avoid known demand spikes.
What it cost on recent days
Cost of this action at each day's average and peak standard gas price, using that day's average ETH price.
| Day | Avg gas | Cost at avg | Cost at peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 10, 2026 | 0.088 gwei | $0.013 | $0.021 |
| October 9, 2026 | 0.212 gwei | $0.032 | $0.185 |
| October 8, 2026 | 0.940 gwei | $0.142 | $1.85 |
| October 7, 2026 | 0.682 gwei | $0.106 | $0.916 |
| October 6, 2026 | 0.544 gwei | $0.088 | $0.722 |
| October 5, 2026 | 0.467 gwei | $0.076 | $0.564 |
| October 4, 2026 | 0.122 gwei | $0.020 | $0.152 |
Compare with other Ethereum actions
| Action | Typical gas | Standard cost |
|---|---|---|
| Send ETH | 21,000 | $0.0042 |
| Send USDT (ERC-20) | 63,000 | $0.013 |
| Send USDC (ERC-20) | 60,000 | $0.012 |
| Approve a token | 46,000 | $0.0093 |
| Swap on Uniswap | 150,000 | $0.030 |
| Mint an NFT | 120,000 | $0.024 |
| Transfer an NFT | 70,000 | $0.014 |
| Buy an NFT on a marketplace | 200,000 | $0.040 |
| Deposit into Aave | 220,000 | $0.044 |
| Wrap ETH into WETH | 46,000 | $0.0093 |
| Stake ETH with Lido | 85,000 | $0.017 |
| Bridge ETH to a layer-2 | 110,000 | $0.022 |
| Register an ENS name | 300,000 | $0.060 |
| Deploy a smart contract | 1,200,000 | $0.242 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send USDC (ERC-20) right now?
About $0.012 at the standard gas price of 0.081 gwei with ETH at $2,492, using a typical 60,000 gas.
How much gas does it use?
Typically about 40,000 to 65,000 gas. Exact usage depends on the contract and on whether new storage is written.
Why does the cost change during the day?
The gas price follows demand for Ethereum block space. Busy hours and market events push it up; quiet hours bring it down.