Suggestion: Allow Paying Gas Fees with the Token Being Used in the Transaction

Feature Requests
1

Description:

Suggestion: Allow Paying Gas Fees with the Token Being Used in the Transaction

Current Problem:
When users want to swap, bridge, or perform any transaction across networks, they must hold the native gas token (ETH, MATIC, BNB, etc.) to cover gas fees.
This system is inconvenient because:

It forces users to buy small amounts of each network’s native token.

It complicates cross-chain operations (for example, moving funds from Base to Linea).

It confuses new users who don’t understand why they can’t use their stablecoins or other tokens directly for gas.

Proposed Solution:
Enable MetaMask to automatically pay gas fees using the token involved in the transaction, by performing a micro-swap in the background.

In practice:

The user selects a transaction (send, swap, or bridge) with any token (e.g., USDC).

MetaMask estimates the gas fees required on both the source and destination networks.

A tiny portion of the token being transferred is automatically swapped for the exact amount of the native token needed to cover gas fees.

The user doesn’t need to manually hold or buy gas tokens anymore.

Practical Example:
You want to send USDC from Base to Linea:

  1. You only have USDC on Base.

  2. MetaMask detects that gas fees will be required on both Base (ETH) and Linea (ETH).

  3. Before executing the bridge, MetaMask automatically swaps a very small part of your USDC for the equivalent amount of ETH needed to cover gas on both networks.

  4. The entire operation is completed in one click, with no manual intervention.

Advantages:

Simplified user experience: no need to manage or pre-purchase native gas tokens.

Easier onboarding: new users can use MetaMask without understanding gas mechanics.

Full interoperability: smoother cross-chain operations.

Automatic optimization: MetaMask could dynamically calculate and convert only the minimal amount of gas required.

Potential Impact:
This mechanism would make Web3 transactions as seamless as traditional payments: you simply hold one balance, make a transaction, and MetaMask handles the technical side invisibly.
It’s a step toward a “smart MetaMask”, capable of auto-managing gas for users — a revolutionary improvement for mainstream crypto adoption.

Please allow me to be available to AirDrop with this big Big feature

2

Hi @orionp99 and thanks for creating this post!

MetaMask does have this feature, it’s called MetaMask Gas Station. Though at this time it’s available only on the Ethereum Mainnet and BNB Smart Chain network and for a limited list of tokens with other popular networks to come in the future. For other networks, MetaMask offers the ability to purchase tokens with fiat via the MetaMask Buy feature, or you can swap tokens from another network using the bridge. This provides you with a convenient way to top-up your gas balance and continue with your swap.

Check out this article for more info on the gas station feature: How to use gas included transactions | MetaMask Help Center

2 Likes
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Thanks @Coffee7643!

Yes, I know about the Gas Station feature — my suggestion goes a bit further.
The idea is to make gas payments completely transparent by allowing users to pay gas fees directly in the token they’re swapping, without needing a separate ETH (or native token) balance.

For example, if I’m swapping USDC to ETH, the gas fee could be automatically deducted from my USDC instead of requiring ETH in my wallet.

That way, users wouldn’t get stuck with a “Gas insufficient” message when they don’t have native tokens, and the experience would feel much smoother and more intuitive.

Basically, it’s about simplifying the user experience and removing the friction caused by managing gas tokens manually.

1 Like
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Thanks for clarifying! :grinning_face: :hot_beverage:

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It would be so amazing to be able to do that, and it would make Metal Mask accessible to the general public, which would be a major innovation and help democratize cryptocurrency.