Circle Brings Prepaid Fees to CCTP Fast Transfer

Circle has upgraded its Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) Fast Transfer service by introducing prepaid fees. This change enables developers to quote and collect cross-chain USDC fees upfront, ensuring that recipients receive the exact amount intended.

The updated system separates transfer amounts from fees, preventing potential deductions from the recipient's balance. Developers can now use Circle's Quote API to obtain a signed fee quote, which includes the total fee breakdown and payment token information.

Users can pay CCTP fees in USDC or native tokens, with the latter being the default option. For USDC payments, developers must enter the stablecoin's source-chain address and approve the TokenMessengerWithFees contract to spend both the transfer amount and additional USDC for the fee.

The EVM requirement excludes Solana as a source chain for upfront-fee transactions, but applications can still send USDC to Solana when the selected route and destination service are supported. Circle's CCTP network footprint continues to grow, with native USDC available across 36 networks and 26 blockchains connected.