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

# Paymaster

Paymasters enable gasless transactions by sponsoring transaction fees on behalf
of your users, so they can begin using your application before acquiring SOL.

## What is a Paymaster?

A paymaster is a Solana wallet managed by Swig that:

* **Holds SOL** for sponsoring transaction fees
* **Signs transactions** as the fee payer
* **Tracks usage** for billing and limits
* **Enforces limits** to prevent abuse

When a user submits a transaction through your application, the paymaster covers the transaction fee, allowing users to transact without holding SOL.

## How It Works

```
User creates transaction
        ↓
Your app sends to Swig Paymaster
        ↓
Paymaster signs as fee payer
        ↓
Transaction submitted to Solana
        ↓
User's action succeeds (gasless!)
```

## Subscription Requirements

Paymasters are available on **paid tiers only**:

| Tier       | Paymaster Access | Monthly Limit | Fee Rate |
| ---------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------- |
| FREE       | No               | -             | -        |
| PRO        | Yes              | \$10,000      | 8%       |
| ULTRA      | Yes              | \$20,000      | 7%       |
| ENTERPRISE | Yes              | Custom        | 6%       |

<Warning>
  FREE tier accounts cannot create paymasters. Upgrade to PRO or higher to access paymaster features.
</Warning>

## Key Concepts

### Paymaster Limits

Each paymaster has configurable limits:

| Limit                   | Description                | Default |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------- | ------- |
| **Usage API Threshold** | Max API calls per month    | 1,000   |
| **SOL Usage Threshold** | Max SOL to spend per month | 10 SOL  |
| **Single TX Limit**     | Max SOL per transaction    | 0.1 SOL |

### Monthly Limits

Your subscription tier determines your monthly sponsorship limit:

* Measured in USD value
* Resets at the start of each billing period
* Overage billing applies if exceeded

### Paymaster Balance

Each paymaster needs SOL to sponsor transactions:

* Fund the paymaster after creation
* Monitor balance to prevent failed transactions
* Low balance alerts available for Enterprise

## Use Cases

### User Onboarding

Remove friction for new users:

* Users can begin transacting immediately
* Immediate access to your application
* Higher conversion rates

### In-App Transactions

Seamless in-app experiences:

* Token transfers
* NFT minting
* DeFi interactions
* Game actions

### Subscription Services

Automate recurring transactions:

* Payment processing
* Subscription renewals
* Scheduled operations

## Paymaster vs Direct SDK

| Feature        | Paymaster (Portal API) | Direct SDK          |
| -------------- | ---------------------- | ------------------- |
| Fee Payer      | Paymaster wallet       | User's wallet       |
| User needs SOL | No                     | Yes                 |
| Usage tracking | Automatic              | Manual              |
| Billing        | Included               | N/A                 |
| Setup          | Portal configuration   | Code configuration  |
| Best for       | Production apps        | Development/testing |

## Getting Started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a Paymaster" icon="plus" href="./create-paymaster">
    Set up your first paymaster
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Paymasters" icon="gear" href="./manage-paymaster">
    Configure settings and monitor usage
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transaction History" icon="clock" href="./transaction-history">
    View sponsored transactions and analytics
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Security

### Access Control

* Paymasters are scoped to your project
* API keys authenticate requests
* Per-paymaster limits prevent abuse

### Allow Other Instructions

By default, paymasters only sponsor Swig-related instructions. You can enable `allowOtherIxs` to sponsor any instruction, but use caution:

<Warning>
  Enabling `allowOtherIxs` allows sponsoring any transaction type. This increases flexibility but also potential for abuse.
</Warning>

### Monitoring

* Track all sponsored transactions
* View real-time usage metrics
* Set up alerts for anomalies

## Best Practices

### Start with Limits

Begin with conservative limits:

* Low single transaction limit
* Moderate monthly threshold
* Increase as you understand usage patterns

### Monitor Usage

Regularly review:

* Transaction volume
* SOL spending
* Error rates

### Maintain Balance

Keep paymaster funded:

* Monitor balance regularly
* Set up low balance alerts (Enterprise)
* Automate top-ups if possible

### Separate Environments

Use different paymasters for:

* Development (devnet)
* Staging
* Production (mainnet)

## Next Steps

* [Create your first paymaster](./create-paymaster)
* [Learn about settings and limits](./manage-paymaster)
* [View transaction history](./transaction-history)