Token Approval Gas Fee: Live Cost of an ERC-20 Approve
Right now, to approve a token on Ethereum mainnet costs about $0.0093 at the standard gas price of 0.081 gwei.
Before a decentralized exchange, lending protocol or marketplace can move your tokens, you sign an approve transaction that sets an allowance for that contract. It typically uses about 46,000 gas for a first approval and less when changing an existing allowance.
How the cost is calculated
Fee = gas used × gas price × ETH price. With the current standard price: 46,000 gas × 0.081 gwei = 0.00000372 ETH, which is $0.0093 at $2,492 per ETH. Across the typical range of about 26,000 to 50,000 gas, the standard cost is between $0.0052 and $0.010.
How to pay less
- Some tokens support signature-based permits that skip the separate approval transaction.
- Unlimited approvals save repeat fees but expose more funds if the spender is compromised. Revoke approvals you no longer use.
- 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 | $0.010 | $0.016 |
| October 9, 2026 | 0.212 gwei | $0.024 | $0.142 |
| October 8, 2026 | 0.940 gwei | $0.109 | $1.42 |
| October 7, 2026 | 0.682 gwei | $0.081 | $0.702 |
| October 6, 2026 | 0.544 gwei | $0.068 | $0.554 |
| October 5, 2026 | 0.467 gwei | $0.058 | $0.433 |
| October 4, 2026 | 0.122 gwei | $0.015 | $0.116 |
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 approve a token right now?
About $0.0093 at the standard gas price of 0.081 gwei with ETH at $2,492, using a typical 46,000 gas.
How much gas does it use?
Typically about 26,000 to 50,000 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.