> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.request.network/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Protocol Fees

> Protocol fee model applied by Request Network API payments

## Protocol Fee

Request Network charges a protocol fee on all payments processed through the API.

## Fee Structure

| Fee Type     | Rate                   | Cap                                                |
| ------------ | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Protocol Fee | 5 basis points (0.05%) | \~\$25/€25 for main USD and EUR backed stablecoins |

The protocol fee applies to all the payment types

* ERC20 token payments
* Native currency payments (ETH, POL, etc.)
* Conversion payments
* Batch payments
* Crosschain payments
* Subscription (coming soon)

## Who Pays the Fee?

By default, the payer bears the protocol fee. The fee is added on top of the invoice amount.

### Example

* Invoice amount: 1000 USDC
* Protocol fee: 1000 x 0.05% = 0.50 USDC
* Total paid by payer: 1000.50 USDC + gas fee
* Amount received by payee: 1000 USDC

For larger payments with stablecoins, the fee is capped:

* Payment of 100,000 USDC -> Fee capped at 25 USDC (not 50 USDC)

## Shifting the Fee to the Payee

If you want the payee to bear the protocol fee instead of the payer, simply reduce the invoice amount by 5bps (0.05%) before creating the request.

### Example:

* Original intended payment: 1000 USDC
* Reduce by 0.05%: 1000 - (1000 x 0.05%) = 999.50 USDC
* Invoice amount: 999.50 USDC
* Protocol fee: 999.50 x 0.05% ≈ 0.4975 USDC
* Total paid by the payer: ≈ 999.9975 USDC (≈ 1000 USDC) + gas fee
* Amount received by payee: 999.50 USDC

This way, the payer pays approximately the original amount while the payee effectively absorbs the fee.

## Platform Fees

You can add your own platform fee on top of the protocol fee. Both fees are handled automatically when you configure a platform fee in your request.

To set up platform fees, include the following parameters in your payment request:

* `feePercentage`: Your platform fee percentage (e.g., "2.5").
* `feeAddress`: The wallet address to receive your platform fees.

When both protocol and platform fees are configured, the API automatically batches them into a single transaction for the payer.

### Fee Information In Responses

Every API response includes the fee details in the metadata:

```json theme={null}
{
  "metadata": {
    "protocolFee": {
      "percentage": "0.05",
      "address": "0x..."
    },
    "platformFee": {
      "percentage": "2.5",
      "address": "0x..."
    }
  }
}
```