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PayOnProof provides full transparency into all fees associated with cross-border transfers. This guide explains how fees are calculated, where they come from, and how to minimize costs.

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Fee transparency

Unlike traditional money transfer services that hide fees in poor exchange rates, PayOnProof shows you:
  • Exact fee percentages: Total fee as a percentage of your send amount
  • Absolute fee amounts: Total fee in your origin currency
  • Fee breakdown: Separate fees for on-ramp, bridge, and off-ramp
  • Real exchange rates: Market rates separate from fees
  • Final recipient amount: Exact amount the recipient receives after all fees
PayOnProof does not charge any fees directly. All fees come from the Stellar network anchors that facilitate on-ramp and off-ramp services.

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Types of fees

Each transfer route includes three components:

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On-ramp fee

The fee charged by the origin anchor (the anchor that accepts your fiat deposit and issues Stellar assets).
  • Covers KYC/AML compliance
  • Bank integration and payment processing
  • Liquidity provision
  • Operational costs
Example: If you send USD via MoneyGram Access USD, the on-ramp fee covers MoneyGram’s cost of accepting your USD deposit and issuing USDC tokens on Stellar.

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Bridge fee

The fee for transferring assets across the Stellar network between anchors.
  • Stellar network transaction fees (minimal)
  • Potential intermediary fees if a direct path doesn’t exist
  • Liquidity provider fees for asset swaps
Example: Converting USDC to EURC on Stellar may require a liquidity pool swap with a small fee.
Stellar network fees are extremely low (fractions of a cent). Most bridge fees come from liquidity providers or intermediary anchors, not the blockchain itself.

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Off-ramp fee

The fee charged by the destination anchor (the anchor that redeems Stellar assets and pays out fiat to the recipient).
  • Covers recipient payout processing
  • Bank transfers or cash pickup costs
  • Currency conversion if needed
  • Compliance and verification
Example: If the recipient receives EUR via MoneyGram Access EUR, the off-ramp fee covers MoneyGram’s cost of converting EURC to EUR and delivering it to the recipient.

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How fees are displayed

Fees appear in multiple places throughout the PayOnProof interface:

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In route comparison

When comparing routes, each route card shows:
  • Fee percentage: Displayed prominently (e.g., “2.5%”)
  • Fee amount: Absolute amount in origin currency (e.g., “12.50 USD”)
  • Recipient gets: Final amount after all fees deducted
Example route card: 
MoneyGram Access USD → MoneyGram Access EUR

Fee: 2.5% (12.50 USD)
Estimated time: 1-2 hours
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR
Recipient gets: 450 EUR

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Fee breakdown (expanded view)

Click the expand arrow on any route card to see the detailed breakdown: 
Fee Breakdown:
• On-ramp: 1.2% (6.00 USD)
• Bridge: 0.1% (0.50 USD)
• Off-ramp: 1.2% (6.00 USD)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Total: 2.5% (12.50 USD)
This shows exactly where each portion of the fee goes.

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In transaction execution

Before confirming a transfer, the execution screen shows: 
Fee: 12.50 USD (2.5%)
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR
Wallet: G0X3...J8K9
Review these details carefully before clicking Confirm & Start Transfer.

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In proof of payment

The final proof of payment includes:
  • Total Fees: Sum of all fees (e.g., “12.50 USD”)
  • Origin Amount: What you sent (e.g., “500 USD”)
  • Destination Amount: What the recipient received (e.g., “450 EUR”)
  • Exchange Rate: The rate applied (e.g., “1 USD = 0.92 EUR”)
This permanent record provides full transparency for accounting and tax purposes.

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Fee calculation example

Let’s walk through a complete fee calculation:

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Input

  • Origin: United States (USD)
  • Destination: France (EUR)
  • Amount: 500 USD
  • Route: MoneyGram Access USD → MoneyGram Access EUR

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Fee breakdown

1

On-ramp fee (1.2%)

MoneyGram charges 1.2% to accept USD and issue USDC:
500 USD × 1.2% = 6.00 USD
After on-ramp: 494.00 USDC on Stellar
2

Bridge fee (0.1%)

Stellar network and liquidity providers charge 0.1%:
500 USD × 0.1% = 0.50 USD equivalent
After bridge: 493.50 USDC equivalent
3

Exchange rate application

Convert USDC to EURC at market rate (1 USD = 0.92 EUR):
493.50 × 0.92 = 454.02 EURC
4

Off-ramp fee (1.2%)

MoneyGram charges 1.2% to redeem EURC and pay out EUR:
500 USD × 1.2% = 6.00 USD equivalent (5.52 EUR)
Final amount: 448.50 EUR

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Summary

  • You send: 500 USD
  • Total fees: 12.50 USD (2.5%)
  • Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR
  • Recipient gets: 448.50 EUR
Fee percentages are applied to the original amount for consistency. The actual deductions occur at each step (on-ramp, bridge, off-ramp), but displaying them as percentages of the send amount makes comparison easier.

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Comparing fees across routes

When multiple routes are available, compare them based on:

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Total fee percentage

The simplest comparison metric. Lower percentage = more money reaches the recipient. Example:
  • Route A: 2.5% total fee
  • Route B: 3.2% total fee
  • Route A is cheaper by 0.7%

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Recipient receives amount

The most important number: what actually arrives on the other end. Example (sending 500 USD):
  • Route A: Recipient gets 448.50 EUR
  • Route B: Recipient gets 445.00 EUR
  • Route A delivers 3.50 EUR more

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Fee breakdown distribution

Some routes may have higher on-ramp fees but lower off-ramp fees, or vice versa. Example:
  • Route A: On-ramp 1.2%, Bridge 0.1%, Off-ramp 1.2% = 2.5% total
  • Route B: On-ramp 0.5%, Bridge 0.2%, Off-ramp 2.5% = 3.2% total
Route A is better overall, even though Route B has a cheaper on-ramp.
Use the Cheapest sort option at the top of the route list to automatically see the lowest-fee routes first.

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Fee vs. exchange rate

PayOnProof separates fees from exchange rates for clarity:

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Traditional services

Many money transfer services advertise “zero fees” but use poor exchange rates: 
Advertised:
- Fee: 0%
- Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.88 EUR (poor rate)
- You send: 500 USD
- Recipient gets: 440 EUR

Hidden cost: 20 EUR (4% worse than market rate)

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PayOnProof transparency

PayOnProof shows both explicitly: 
- Fee: 2.5%
- Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR (market rate)
- You send: 500 USD
- Recipient gets: 448.50 EUR

Actual cost: 12.50 USD (2.5% transparent fee)
When comparing PayOnProof to other services, calculate the effective total cost by comparing:
  1. How much you send
  2. How much the recipient receives
  3. The difference is the true cost
Don’t trust “zero fee” claims without checking the exchange rate.

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How to minimize fees

1

Compare all available routes

Don’t just pick the first route—sort by Cheapest and review all options. Fee differences can be significant.
2

Consider larger transfers

Many anchors have fixed minimum fees or better rates for larger amounts. Combining multiple small transfers into one larger transfer can reduce the effective fee percentage.
PayOnProof shows percentage fees, but some anchors may have minimum fee amounts not visible in the preview. Check the anchor’s terms for details.
3

Check timing

If you’re not in a rush, compare fees across routes with different speeds. Sometimes faster routes charge premium fees, while slower routes are cheaper.
4

Watch for promotions

Anchors occasionally offer promotional rates or reduced fees. PayOnProof displays real-time fees, so you’ll automatically see any promotions in the route comparison.
No. PayOnProof does not charge fees for using the platform. All fees shown come directly from the Stellar anchors that provide on-ramp and off-ramp services.PayOnProof’s business model focuses on providing transparency and tooling. Anchor fees are passed through exactly as charged, with no markup.
Each anchor sets their own fees based on:
  • Regulatory and compliance costs in their jurisdiction
  • Payment method costs (bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile money, etc.)
  • Liquidity availability
  • Operational efficiency
  • Market competition
Routes using different anchors will have different fee structures.
PayOnProof displays all fees reported by the anchors. However, be aware of potential additional costs:
  • Bank fees: Your bank may charge for international wires or currency conversion
  • Recipient bank fees: The recipient’s bank may deduct fees from incoming transfers
  • Exchange rate fluctuations: Rates can change between route comparison and execution (though PayOnProof locks rates at the time of route selection)
These external fees are outside PayOnProof’s control and not included in the displayed fee totals.
Fees displayed at route selection are locked for that transaction. However:
  • If you go back and search again, fees may have changed based on current anchor pricing
  • Fees are recalculated on each search to reflect real-time anchor data
  • The final proof of payment shows the actual fees charged, which should match what you saw at confirmation
If there’s a discrepancy, contact PayOnProof support with your transaction ID.
Fees are deducted progressively at each step:
  1. On-ramp: Deducted when you deposit fiat and receive Stellar assets
  2. Bridge: Deducted during the Stellar network transfer and any swaps
  3. Off-ramp: Deducted when Stellar assets are redeemed for fiat payout
The Recipient gets amount shown in PayOnProof is the final amount after all three deductions.
Stellar is designed for fast, low-cost transfers. Network transaction fees are typically:
  • 0.00001 XLM per operation (fractions of a cent)
  • Minimal liquidity provider fees if swaps are needed
This is one of the key advantages of using Stellar-based infrastructure versus traditional correspondent banking networks with high intermediary fees.

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Fee transparency in action

Here’s what PayOnProof shows at each step:

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Route comparison

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MoneyGram USD → MoneyGram EUR           │
│                                         │
│ Fee: 2.5% (12.50 USD)                   │
│ Time: 1-2 hours                         │
│ Rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR                  │
│ Recipient gets: 448.50 EUR              │
│                                         │
│ [Expand for breakdown]                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Expanded breakdown

Fee Breakdown:
• On-ramp (MoneyGram USD): 1.2% (6.00 USD)
• Bridge (Stellar network): 0.1% (0.50 USD)
• Off-ramp (MoneyGram EUR): 1.2% (6.00 USD)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Total fees: 2.5% (12.50 USD)

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Transaction confirmation

Sending: 500 USD
Recipient gets: 448.50 EUR

Fee: 12.50 USD (2.5%)
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR
Wallet: G0X3...J8K9

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Proof of payment

PROOF OF PAYMENT - POP
Status: VERIFIED

TRANSFER DETAILS
Origin: 500 USD
Received: 448.50 EUR
Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 0.92 EUR
Total Fees: 12.50 USD
Route: MoneyGram Access USD > MoneyGram Access EUR

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Next steps

Sending payments

Learn how to send a payment and see fees in action

Verifying proofs

View fee information in your proof of payment

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