TRC-20 vs ERC-20 vs Solana for Card Top-Ups
All three networks deliver the same USDT to the same card balance, and the Kripicard funding fee is identical on each. What differs is the network fee and the token you pay it in. Solana is usually cheapest and suits small, frequent top-ups. TRC-20 is low-cost and supported by nearly every exchange, which makes it the practical default. ERC-20 costs the most per transfer but the fee is flat, so it is reasonable for large top-ups or when your USDT already lives on Ethereum. If you are sending from an exchange, pick whichever has the lowest USDT withdrawal fee on its withdrawal screen.
Side by side
| TRC-20 (Tron) | ERC-20 (Ethereum) | Solana (SPL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address format | Starts with T, 34 characters | Starts with 0x, 42 characters | Base58, 32–44 characters |
| Fee paid in | TRX (energy and bandwidth) | ETH (gas) | SOL |
| Typical fee level | Low | Highest, varies with congestion | Fractions of a cent |
| Best for | Everyday top-ups from exchanges | Large top-ups from Ethereum wallets | Small and frequent top-ups |
| USDT decimals | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Pick a network in three questions
- Where is your USDT now? If it is already on one of the three networks, use that one. Moving it to another chain first costs a fee of its own.
- Exchange or own wallet? From an exchange, the network fee is the exchange's withdrawal fee. Compare the three figures on the withdrawal screen and take the lowest. From your own wallet, you also need the chain's gas token: TRX, ETH or SOL.
- How much per top-up? Below about $100, flat fees bite: prefer Solana or TRC-20. Above a few thousand dollars, the gap between networks is a rounding error next to the 4% funding fee.
Worked examples
Illustrative network fees of $0.01 on Solana, $1 on TRC-20 and $4 on ERC-20, with the standard 4% funding fee deducted from the deposit:
| Card balance wanted | Solana | TRC-20 | ERC-20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | 26.05 USDT | 27.04 USDT | 30.04 USDT |
| $200 | 208.34 USDT | 209.33 USDT | 212.33 USDT |
| $2,000 | 2,083.34 USDT | 2,084.33 USDT | 2,087.33 USDT |
What the examples show
On a $25 balance, ERC-20 costs nearly four USDT more than Solana, about 16% of what you spend. On $2,000 the same gap is under 0.2%. Your actual fees will differ, so put your own numbers into the top-up calculator, which runs this comparison live.
Speed is rarely the deciding factor. All three usually confirm within minutes, and exchange withdrawal queues tend to add more delay than the blockchain does.
Networks that are not on the list
BEP-20 (BNB Chain), Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Avalanche and TON all carry USDT too, but they are not accepted top-up networks. Sending on one of them to a Kripicard deposit address is the single most common funding error. Read what happens and what to do before it happens to you.
Related network guides and tools
Each network has its own address format, fee token and failure modes. The guides below cover them one at a time.
- Top up with USDT TRC-20
- Top up with USDT ERC-20
- Top up with USDT on Solana
- USDT sent to the wrong network
- Crypto Card Top-Up Calculator: how much USDT to send on each network, with every fee shown.
- Kripicard fees: per-card, funding and tier pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, TRC-20 or ERC-20?
Is Solana cheaper than TRC-20?
Does the network change the Kripicard fee?
Is one network safer than the others?
Can I use BEP-20?
Choose your network and top up
Any of the three networks funds the same Visa or Mastercard virtual card. Pick the cheapest one for your amount.
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