A cross-chain bridge can show a transfer as pending after the source transaction succeeds because the destination still needs a separate claim. The key question is whether a signed proof is ready and whether anyone has submitted it on the destination chain.
In Portal Bridge, check the source transaction first, then look for a destination transaction. When the source is confirmed but the destination step is missing, use Portal Bridge cross-chain transfers to resume that transfer; the signed proof identifies the original send, so you should not start another one.
Manual redemption uses gas from your destination wallet
With a manual transfer, you submit the final claim yourself and pay the destination chain’s transaction fee. The bridge’s validators, called Guardians, watch the source transaction and sign a proof called a VAA; that proof lets the destination contract release or mint the tokens.
A confirmed source transaction does not mean the tokens are already spendable. Once the VAA is ready, your wallet must submit it on the destination chain. For a transfer to Arbitrum, for example, you need ETH on Arbitrum to pay the claim’s gas, even if the token you are moving is USDC.
To estimate the cost, multiply gas used by the gas price. Say a claim uses 120,000 units of gas at 20 gwei: that is 0.0024 ETH. This is an illustration, not a current quote; the wallet’s estimate depends on the destination network and how busy it is. A failed claim can still use gas, so check the amount before signing.
Manual redemption suits someone who has destination gas and wants to control when the claim is sent. It may not fit if you have no native coins on that chain. The Wormhole docs describe the proof and separate completion step; the destination block explorer shows whether a claim transaction succeeded.
An automatic relay submits the claim for you
An automatic transfer uses a relayer, a service that submits the destination claim on your behalf. The route usually accounts for the relayer’s fee in its quote, and some routes let you include a small gas drop-off: native coins sent with the transfer for later transactions.
This option suits someone who cannot pay destination gas upfront, if the route and token support it. It may cost more than a manual claim, and the transfer can remain pending while the source proof is prepared or the relayer works. Check the route’s quoted amount and any gas drop-off before approving the source transaction.
Check the stage before you retry
Use the source transaction hash to find out whether the send succeeded. If it reverted, no claim can complete from that attempt; if it succeeded, look for the VAA or a destination transaction before taking another step. A signed VAA is proof of the send, not proof that tokens reached your wallet.
If the VAA is ready but no destination transaction appears, connect the wallet that matches the intended recipient, switch it to the destination network, and make sure it has that network’s native gas token. Retry the claim once and inspect its receipt in the destination explorer. A failed receipt means the claim did not complete, though the transaction may have spent gas; a successful receipt means the transfer is complete, even if the bridge page has not refreshed.
- Confirm the source transaction succeeded.
- Check whether the VAA is ready and the destination claim exists.
- For a manual claim, fund destination gas; for an automatic route, review its fee and drop-off.
- Retry only the unfinished destination step, then verify its receipt.
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