If a swap quote has a countdown, review the wallet request and confirm while the quote is live; otherwise, refresh it first. The timer limits how long the quoted price or available inventory can be relied on. If you’re making a wallet-to-wallet token swap, Fermi swap is one way to do it; the same timing checks apply across decentralized swaps.
What does quote expiry actually limit?
Quote expiry sets a cutoff for using the price shown to you. A quote may be based on a token price, available token inventory, or both, and those can change while you decide. The cutoff gives you a short window to act on those terms.
It does not necessarily cancel an Ethereum transaction that you have already sent. Ethereum.org’s transaction documentation explains that a broadcast transaction waits for inclusion in a block. Some swaps also include an on-chain deadline, a timestamp after which the contract will reject the transaction. The app’s quote timer and the transaction’s deadline are related, but they are not always the same thing.
What should you check before confirming?
Check the quote’s remaining time, the wallet request’s token amounts, and whether the request still matches the trade you intended. Look at the minimum output too: this is the least amount the transaction will accept after price movement. A slippage limit is the allowed difference between the quoted amount and the final amount.
For example, suppose a quote shows 1 ETH for 3,000 tokens and expires in 60 seconds. If the wallet request shows 2,970 as the minimum output, that is a 1% slippage allowance. These are illustrative figures; the right limit depends on the token and how quickly its price moves.
Take a few seconds to compare those values, then confirm promptly if they still suit you. If the wallet is slow to open, or you need more time to check, let the quote expire and request a fresh one. When using Fermi swap, treat the wallet request as the final check that the trade details still match the quote you mean to accept.
What if the timer runs out while the wallet is open?
If you have not confirmed, don’t assume the old quote still applies. Close or leave the request, refresh the quote, and compare the new amounts before signing. A fresh quote can differ because the market moved or the available inventory changed.
If you already signed and sent the transaction, find its transaction hash, the unique reference for checking its status. Etherscan can show whether it is pending, confirmed, or failed. If it is pending, do not send another swap just because the quote timer reached zero; first check whether the original transaction is still waiting.
A transaction with an on-chain deadline may fail if it is included too late. A failed transaction can still use gas, the fee paid for Ethereum’s computing work. Ethereum.org’s wallet guidance explains that fees depend on network conditions, so the cost of a late failure can vary.
What else should you know about expired quotes?
Does expiry mean the token price is guaranteed until the timer ends?
No. Expiry marks the end of the quote’s validity, but it does not guarantee execution at the displayed price. The swap may also have a minimum-output condition that rejects a worse result. Check both the timer and the wallet’s amounts before you approve the transaction.
Will an expired quote spend my tokens?
A quote alone does not move tokens. A wallet-confirmed transaction can still be pending after the quote expires, though. Check its status before trying again, and remember that a transaction that fails on-chain may still incur a gas fee.
How much time should I leave for wallet confirmation?
There is no reliable universal buffer: wallet response time and network conditions vary. Start the confirmation while the quote is fresh, and avoid beginning if you cannot review the amounts promptly. If the request sits open long enough for the quote to expire, refresh and inspect the replacement before signing.
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