Fee Sponsorship

Overview

Fee sponsorship is a native feature in Solana that allows for one account to pay transaction fees for another account. This is useful if you want to abstract away holding SOL from your users or provide a fee-free experience. This is also often referred to as "gas abstraction" on other blockchains.

How fee payment works

Every transaction requires a transaction fee, paid in SOL. This fee is paid by the "fee payer" of the transaction. Any EOA that signs the transaction can be the fee payer which enables native fee sponsorship or "gas abstraction" for Solana. This capability extends to all transaction types including token transfers, DeFi actions, and more. For more information on how fees are determined see the Transaction Fees page.

To sponsor fees for other users, you need to create a transaction with the feePayer field set to the public key of the EOA that will pay the fees. The following example shows how to transfer a token from one user to another and sponsor the fees for the transaction.

import {
  airdropFactory,
  appendTransactionMessageInstructions,
  createSolanaRpc,
  createSolanaRpcSubscriptions,
  createTransactionMessage,
  generateKeyPairSigner,
  getSignatureFromTransaction,
  lamports,
  pipe,
  sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory,
  setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner,
  setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash,
  signTransactionMessageWithSigners
} from "@solana/kit";
import { getCreateAccountInstruction } from "@solana-program/system";
import {
  getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync,
  getInitializeMintInstruction,
  getMintSize,
  TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS,
  findAssociatedTokenPda,
  getMintToInstruction,
  getTransferInstruction,
  fetchToken
} from "@solana-program/token";

// Create Connection, local validator in this example
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("http://localhost:8899");
const rpcSubscriptions = createSolanaRpcSubscriptions("ws://localhost:8900");

// Generate keypairs for fee payer, sender and recipient
const feePayer = await generateKeyPairSigner();
const sender = await generateKeyPairSigner();
const recipient = await generateKeyPairSigner();

console.log("Fee Payer Address:", feePayer.address.toString());
console.log("Sender Address:", sender.address.toString());
console.log("Recipient Address:", recipient.address.toString());

// Fund fee payer
await airdropFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })({
  recipientAddress: feePayer.address,
  lamports: lamports(1_000_000_000n),
  commitment: "confirmed"
});

// Generate keypair to use as address of mint
const mint = await generateKeyPairSigner();
console.log("Mint Address:", mint.address.toString());

// Get default mint account size (in bytes), no extensions enabled
const space = BigInt(getMintSize());

// Get minimum balance for rent exemption
const rent = await rpc.getMinimumBalanceForRentExemption(space).send();

// Get latest blockhash to include in transaction
const { value: latestBlockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

// Instruction to create new account for mint (token  program)
// Invokes the system program
const createAccountInstruction = getCreateAccountInstruction({
  payer: feePayer,
  newAccount: mint,
  lamports: rent,
  space,
  programAddress: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

// Instruction to initialize mint account data
// Invokes the token program
const initializeMintInstruction = getInitializeMintInstruction({
  mint: mint.address,
  decimals: 2,
  mintAuthority: sender.address
});

// Derive the ATAs for sender and recipient
const [senderAssociatedTokenAddress] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  mint: mint.address,
  owner: sender.address,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

const [recipientAssociatedTokenAddress] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  mint: mint.address,
  owner: recipient.address,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

console.log(
  "Sender Associated Token Account Address:",
  senderAssociatedTokenAddress.toString()
);
console.log(
  "Recipient Associated Token Account Address:",
  recipientAssociatedTokenAddress.toString()
);

// Create instruction for sender's ATA
const createSenderAtaInstruction =
  await getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync({
    payer: feePayer,
    mint: mint.address,
    owner: sender.address
  });

// Create instruction for recipient's ATA
const createRecipientAtaInstruction =
  await getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync({
    payer: feePayer,
    mint: mint.address,
    owner: recipient.address
  });

// Create instruction to mint tokens to sender
const mintToInstruction = getMintToInstruction({
  mint: mint.address,
  token: senderAssociatedTokenAddress,
  mintAuthority: sender.address,
  amount: 100n
});

// Combine all instructions in order
const instructions = [
  createAccountInstruction, // Create mint account
  initializeMintInstruction, // Initialize mint
  createSenderAtaInstruction, // Create sender's ATA
  createRecipientAtaInstruction, // Create recipient's ATA
  mintToInstruction // Mint tokens to sender
];

// Create transaction message
const transactionMessage = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner(feePayer, tx),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(latestBlockhash, tx),
  (tx) => appendTransactionMessageInstructions(instructions, tx)
);

// Sign transaction message with all required signers
const signedTransaction =
  await signTransactionMessageWithSigners(transactionMessage);

// Send and confirm transaction
await sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })(
  signedTransaction,
  { commitment: "confirmed" }
);

// Get transaction signature
const transactionSignature = getSignatureFromTransaction(signedTransaction);

console.log("Transaction Signature:", transactionSignature);
console.log("Successfully minted 1.0 tokens");

// Get a fresh blockhash for the transfer transaction
const { value: transferBlockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

// Create instruction to transfer tokens
const transferInstruction = getTransferInstruction({
  source: senderAssociatedTokenAddress,
  destination: recipientAssociatedTokenAddress,
  authority: sender.address,
  amount: 50n // 0.50 tokens with 2 decimals
});

// Create transaction message for token transfer
const transferTxMessage = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner(feePayer, tx),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(transferBlockhash, tx),
  (tx) => appendTransactionMessageInstructions([transferInstruction], tx)
);

// Sign transaction message with all required signers
const signedTransferTx =
  await signTransactionMessageWithSigners(transferTxMessage);

// Send and confirm transaction
await sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })(
  signedTransferTx,
  { commitment: "confirmed" }
);

// Get transaction signature
const transactionSignature2 = getSignatureFromTransaction(signedTransferTx);

console.log("Transaction Signature:", transactionSignature2);
console.log("Successfully transferred 0.5 tokens");

const senderTokenAccount = await fetchToken(rpc, senderAssociatedTokenAddress, {
  commitment: "confirmed"
});
const recipientTokenAccount = await fetchToken(
  rpc,
  recipientAssociatedTokenAddress,
  {
    commitment: "confirmed"
  }
);

const senderBalance = senderTokenAccount.data.amount;
const recipientBalance = recipientTokenAccount.data.amount;

console.log("=== Final Balances ===");
console.log("Sender balance:", Number(senderBalance) / 100, "tokens");
console.log("Recipient balance:", Number(recipientBalance) / 100, "tokens");

Console

Click to execute the code.

import {
  airdropFactory,
  appendTransactionMessageInstructions,
  createSolanaRpc,
  createSolanaRpcSubscriptions,
  createTransactionMessage,
  generateKeyPairSigner,
  getSignatureFromTransaction,
  lamports,
  pipe,
  sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory,
  setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner,
  setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash,
  signTransactionMessageWithSigners
} from "@solana/kit";
import { getCreateAccountInstruction } from "@solana-program/system";
import {
  getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync,
  getInitializeMintInstruction,
  getMintSize,
  TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS,
  findAssociatedTokenPda,
  getMintToInstruction,
  getTransferInstruction,
  fetchToken
} from "@solana-program/token";

// Create Connection, local validator in this example
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("http://localhost:8899");
const rpcSubscriptions = createSolanaRpcSubscriptions("ws://localhost:8900");

// Generate keypairs for fee payer, sender and recipient
const feePayer = await generateKeyPairSigner();
const sender = await generateKeyPairSigner();
const recipient = await generateKeyPairSigner();

console.log("Fee Payer Address:", feePayer.address.toString());
console.log("Sender Address:", sender.address.toString());
console.log("Recipient Address:", recipient.address.toString());

// Fund fee payer
await airdropFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })({
  recipientAddress: feePayer.address,
  lamports: lamports(1_000_000_000n),
  commitment: "confirmed"
});

// Generate keypair to use as address of mint
const mint = await generateKeyPairSigner();
console.log("Mint Address:", mint.address.toString());

// Get default mint account size (in bytes), no extensions enabled
const space = BigInt(getMintSize());

// Get minimum balance for rent exemption
const rent = await rpc.getMinimumBalanceForRentExemption(space).send();

// Get latest blockhash to include in transaction
const { value: latestBlockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

// Instruction to create new account for mint (token  program)
// Invokes the system program
const createAccountInstruction = getCreateAccountInstruction({
  payer: feePayer,
  newAccount: mint,
  lamports: rent,
  space,
  programAddress: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

// Instruction to initialize mint account data
// Invokes the token program
const initializeMintInstruction = getInitializeMintInstruction({
  mint: mint.address,
  decimals: 2,
  mintAuthority: sender.address
});

// Derive the ATAs for sender and recipient
const [senderAssociatedTokenAddress] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  mint: mint.address,
  owner: sender.address,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

const [recipientAssociatedTokenAddress] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  mint: mint.address,
  owner: recipient.address,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS
});

console.log(
  "Sender Associated Token Account Address:",
  senderAssociatedTokenAddress.toString()
);
console.log(
  "Recipient Associated Token Account Address:",
  recipientAssociatedTokenAddress.toString()
);

// Create instruction for sender's ATA
const createSenderAtaInstruction =
  await getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync({
    payer: feePayer,
    mint: mint.address,
    owner: sender.address
  });

// Create instruction for recipient's ATA
const createRecipientAtaInstruction =
  await getCreateAssociatedTokenInstructionAsync({
    payer: feePayer,
    mint: mint.address,
    owner: recipient.address
  });

// Create instruction to mint tokens to sender
const mintToInstruction = getMintToInstruction({
  mint: mint.address,
  token: senderAssociatedTokenAddress,
  mintAuthority: sender.address,
  amount: 100n
});

// Combine all instructions in order
const instructions = [
  createAccountInstruction, // Create mint account
  initializeMintInstruction, // Initialize mint
  createSenderAtaInstruction, // Create sender's ATA
  createRecipientAtaInstruction, // Create recipient's ATA
  mintToInstruction // Mint tokens to sender
];

// Create transaction message
const transactionMessage = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner(feePayer, tx),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(latestBlockhash, tx),
  (tx) => appendTransactionMessageInstructions(instructions, tx)
);

// Sign transaction message with all required signers
const signedTransaction =
  await signTransactionMessageWithSigners(transactionMessage);

// Send and confirm transaction
await sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })(
  signedTransaction,
  { commitment: "confirmed" }
);

// Get transaction signature
const transactionSignature = getSignatureFromTransaction(signedTransaction);

console.log("Transaction Signature:", transactionSignature);
console.log("Successfully minted 1.0 tokens");

// Get a fresh blockhash for the transfer transaction
const { value: transferBlockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

// Create instruction to transfer tokens
const transferInstruction = getTransferInstruction({
  source: senderAssociatedTokenAddress,
  destination: recipientAssociatedTokenAddress,
  authority: sender.address,
  amount: 50n // 0.50 tokens with 2 decimals
});

// Create transaction message for token transfer
const transferTxMessage = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner(feePayer, tx),
  (tx) => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(transferBlockhash, tx),
  (tx) => appendTransactionMessageInstructions([transferInstruction], tx)
);

// Sign transaction message with all required signers
const signedTransferTx =
  await signTransactionMessageWithSigners(transferTxMessage);

// Send and confirm transaction
await sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions })(
  signedTransferTx,
  { commitment: "confirmed" }
);

// Get transaction signature
const transactionSignature2 = getSignatureFromTransaction(signedTransferTx);

console.log("Transaction Signature:", transactionSignature2);
console.log("Successfully transferred 0.5 tokens");

const senderTokenAccount = await fetchToken(rpc, senderAssociatedTokenAddress, {
  commitment: "confirmed"
});
const recipientTokenAccount = await fetchToken(
  rpc,
  recipientAssociatedTokenAddress,
  {
    commitment: "confirmed"
  }
);

const senderBalance = senderTokenAccount.data.amount;
const recipientBalance = recipientTokenAccount.data.amount;

console.log("=== Final Balances ===");
console.log("Sender balance:", Number(senderBalance) / 100, "tokens");
console.log("Recipient balance:", Number(recipientBalance) / 100, "tokens");

Console

Click to execute the code.

How to run a fee relayer service

A fee relayer service is a service that allows you to relay transactions for other users. This is useful if you want to provide an application that removes the complexity of users having to manage and procure SOL. Kora, by the Solana Foundation, is a fee relayer service that allows you to relay transactions for other users. In addition to providing fee sponsorship, it can also accept fee payment in configured tokens to still be compensated for transaction processing. More information can be found in the Kora documentation.

Fee Sponsorship

Overview

How fee payment works

How to sponsor fees on a transaction

How to run a fee relayer service