Guides

Not enough SOL for fees, but USDC or USDT on Solana

Your USDC or USDT arrived on Solana, but the wallet won't send it. It asks for SOL, which you don't have.

Check your wallet Send or swap without gas

What the wallet says

Depending on the wallet and its version, messages like these (Phantom, Solflare and Backpack):

Insufficient SOL
You need SOL to pay network fees
Not enough SOL to cover the transaction fee
Insufficient funds for fee

Why it happens

Every Solana transaction pays a small fee in SOL, the token you send cannot pay it. When the recipient has no account for that token yet, the transaction also needs a one-time deposit of about 0.002 SOL to open it. With 0 SOL, neither is possible. It happens often after a withdrawal from an exchange to a new wallet.

How to fix it

Withdraw a little SOL from an exchange to the same wallet. A small amount covers many transfers.
Send the USDC or USDT anyway with gasrescue: you sign one transaction, we pay the fee and any account deposit, and the cost comes out of the amount.
Or swap a few dollars of USDC or USDT into SOL with gasrescue, so the wallet works on its own again.

Step by step, by chain

Common questions

Why does sending to some addresses cost more?

If the recipient never held that token, its token account must be created first, and Solana requires a deposit of about 0.002 SOL for it. gasrescue charges that deposit at cost, without a buffer, and shows it in the quote.

Can I use my phone?

Yes. Open gasrescue.io in the browser built into Phantom, Solflare or Backpack.

Is my wallet stuck or frozen?

The free wallet check at gasrescue.io/check shows whether stablecoins are stuck without SOL or frozen by their issuer.

Before you start

Blockchain transfers are final, so check the recipient carefully. Only sign on gasrescue.io, never share your seed phrase, and start with a small amount. gasrescue is in early access and independent of every wallet and chain named here.