The gas fee number in your wallet actually hides a chance to save money: as long as you set Max Fee and priority fee correctly, you can get the fastest confirmation at the lowest cost. The key is understanding what these two numbers do — most people get them backwards.
A leading global cryptocurrency platform,suitable for both beginners and experienced traders.
New user benefit: 20% off trading fees upon registration!！
Goal
Learn to manually set Max Fee (maximum fee cap) and Max Priority Fee (priority fee / tip cap) in your wallet, and find the right balance between saving money and fast confirmation.
Core concepts
First remember one core rule: the system deducts what is actually used, not the cap you enter. If you fill it in wrong, you may waste money, but it will not charge more than the number you set.
These three parameters determine your gas fee:
Base Fee
Set by the network, not something you can change. It is calculated automatically for each block based on congestion.
This money is burned directly; nobody can take it.
Max Priority Fee
The only parameter you really need to care about. It is the maximum "tip" you are willing to give validators, and it directly determines how quickly your transaction gets confirmed.
The higher it is, the more likely validators will process your transaction first. If it is too low, your transaction may get stuck.
Max Fee
The maximum total price you are willing to pay per unit of gas. It equals Base Fee + Max Priority Fee.
Actual charge = gas used × (Base Fee + actual priority fee paid), and it will never exceed the Max Fee you set.
Reference settings for different needs
Different wallets have different interfaces, but the underlying logic is the same. Take MetaMask as an example:
| Your need | Action | Suggested value |
|---|---|---|
| Not in a hurry, save as much as possible | Choose the "Low" option, or manually set Max Priority Fee lower | Check the current network suggested value and choose a lower percentile (such as the 30th percentile) |
| Normal speed, not too expensive | Choose the "Market" option | Use the wallet's recommended value; it is usually enough |
| Urgent, need to jump the queue | Choose "Aggressive" or manually increase Max Priority Fee | Set it 10-30% higher than the current suggested value so validators notice it first |
| Custom, fine-tuned control | Click "Advanced" and set Max Fee and Max Priority Fee separately | Make sure Max Fee ≥ Base Fee + Max Priority Fee |
Setting tips:
Open your wallet's send page (MetaMask, imToken, Ledger, etc.) and find the gas fee editing option.
Click "Advanced" or "Custom".
Focus on Max Priority Fee. This number decides whether you can jump the queue.
Set Max Fee to about 1.5–2 times the current Base Fee, to leave a buffer for Base Fee changes.
High risk warning: never casually change Gas Limit. The wallet's default value is already calculated. If you manually lower it, the transaction may run out of gas halfway, the transaction fails but the gas fee is still deducted and not refunded. Trying to save a few dollars in fees and then losing a whole fee is not worth it.
Common failure causes and fixes
Many users report: "I set Max Priority Fee as suggested, but the transaction was still stuck for a long time."
This is because the network suddenly became congested. The Base Fee and priority fee suggestions you saw when sending were based on data from the past few minutes. At the exact second you clicked confirm, many other people may have been sending transactions, and fees spiked instantly. In that case, the Max Priority Fee you set became too low.
Solution: if the transaction is stuck for more than 5 minutes, click "Speed Up". The system will automatically raise Max Priority Fee and Max Fee for you, replacing the original transaction.
After the transaction is confirmed, open Etherscan, enter the transaction hash, and check the transaction details:
Look at Gas Price. This is the actual unit price you paid, and it will not exceed the Max Fee you set.
Check Gas Used vs Gas Limit. If Gas Used is lower than Gas Limit, no gas was wasted.
A leading global cryptocurrency platform,suitable for both beginners and experienced traders.
New user benefit: 20% off trading fees upon registration!！
FAQ
Q: If I set Max Fee very high, will I be charged that much?A: No. The system only deducts the actual Base Fee + priority fee used. The extra amount is automatically refunded, so you will not be charged extra. Setting it high is just to leave room for Base Fee changes, not to pay that much.
Q: How high should Max Priority Fee be to be "enough"?A: Go to Etherscan and look at transactions in the current block, and use the median priority fee as a reference. Or simply use the wallet's recommended "Market" option, which is enough for most people. If you must set it manually, it is recommended to set it 10-20% higher than the current suggested value, so you can jump the queue successfully without wasting money.
Q: Why is my transaction still slow even though I set Max Priority Fee very high?A: Check whether Max Fee is set too low. If Max Fee < Base Fee + the Max Priority Fee you set, the actual priority fee the system can use will be compressed. That means the tip you actually gave did not reach the amount you set.
