If you are used to a centralised exchange, check the destination token, estimated amount, and minimum amount before signing a cross-chain swap. A wallet quote describes a route across two networks, so compare what should arrive with what you will spend.
Which numbers matter in the quote?
Start by checking that the sending network, receiving network, and both tokens are correct. Then compare the estimated amount you may receive with the minimum amount shown, if the route provides one. That minimum can reflect slippage, meaning a price change while the swap is being completed.
For example, say you send 100 USDC and the quote estimates 99.2 of another token, with a minimum of 98.7. The estimate is the expected result; the minimum is the route’s stated lower bound under its conditions. Check whether it applies to the whole cross-chain route or only a swap within it.
A relay bridge can combine moving assets between networks and swapping them into the token you want. That can save you from arranging those tasks separately, but it also means the quote may include more than one step.
- Network and token: confirm the destination network and token match your plan.
- Estimated and minimum amounts: compare both, and check what the minimum covers.
- Fees and gas: see which costs are deducted and which need a separate network token.
- Time estimate: treat it as an estimate, since network traffic and route design affect completion.
What happens after I sign?
Usually, the wallet first asks you to approve the transaction on the sending network. You pay that network’s gas, a fee for processing the transaction. A route may also need token permission, which lets a contract use a specified token amount.
After the sending transaction is confirmed, the bridge route carries value to the destination network. A swap route—the path used to trade one token for another—may then convert the arriving asset. The destination transaction can require gas too; some routes cover or deduct that cost, while others require you to have the destination network’s gas token.
This differs from a typical exchange trade, where the exchange handles network transfers behind your account balance. With a wallet route, keep enough of the sending network’s gas token to start, and check whether you will need gas on the receiving network to use the funds afterward.
When should I refresh or reject the quote?
Refresh the quote if it has expired, the market has moved, or the amount or route changes before signing. A quote is based on conditions at the time it was made; the destination amount may change if the swap price moves within the route’s allowed slippage.
Pause if the wallet’s transaction details do not match the networks and amount you chose, or if the approval asks to spend more than you intend. If the minimum is too low for your needs, wait for a better quote or choose a different route. The relay bridge example is useful when one wallet flow needs to move and swap assets, but the destination amount and gas needs still decide whether the route suits you.
Before signing, verify the destination token, estimated and minimum amounts, fees, and gas needs. Then check that the quote is current and the wallet request matches it.
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