Gem Wallet Shows Insufficient Funds

Why Does Gem Wallet Show Insufficient Funds?

An insufficient funds message means the wallet cannot cover everything the requested transaction needs. Depending on the action, you may need:

• The asset being sent, swapped, or staked.
• The blockchain's native coin for the network fee.
• Enough additional balance to satisfy a network minimum, reserve, rent, or deposit requirement.

Having enough of a token does not always mean the transaction is fully funded. For example, a wallet can hold USDT but still be unable to send it when the native network-fee coin is missing.

Identify the Missing Balance

Gem Wallet can show two different balance errors:

• Insufficient balance means the available amount of the asset is lower than the amount required for the action.
• Insufficient network fee balance means the wallet does not have enough of the blockchain's fee asset.

On the confirmation screen, select the red error warning to open the Balance Required sheet. When the amounts are available, the sheet shows how much is required, how much is available, and the shortfall.

You Are Sending a Native Coin

When sending a native coin such as BTC, ETH, SOL, TRX, or BNB, the same balance generally covers both the amount and the network fee.

If you try to send the entire displayed balance, there may be nothing left for the fee. Reduce the amount and review the total shown on the confirmation screen.

You Are Sending a Token

Tokens usually require a different asset to pay the blockchain fee:

Token network	Native coin needed for fees
ERC20 on Ethereum	ETH on Ethereum
TRC20 on TRON	TRX
BEP20 on BNB Chain	BNB
SPL on Solana	SOL
Jettons on TON	GRAM
Tokens on Base	ETH on Base
Tokens on Arbitrum	ETH on Arbitrum
Tokens on Polygon	POL

The fee coin must be held in the same wallet on the same network. ETH held on Ethereum, for example, cannot pay the fee for a token held on Base or Arbitrum.

tip

For a larger network list and illustrated examples, read What Are Network Fees?.

You Are Swapping, Staking, or Using a dApp

Smart-contract actions can cost more than a basic transfer. A balance that covers a normal send may not cover a swap, token approval, staking transaction, or WalletConnect request.

You may also need to keep part of the source asset available instead of attempting to swap or stake its entire balance.

Reproduce the Error Without Submitting a Transaction

The app checks the amount and fee balance before broadcasting the transaction, so this test does not require you to complete a transfer:

1. Open an asset in Gem Wallet and select Send.
2. Enter a valid recipient address that you control.
3. Enter more than the available asset balance, or select the full native-coin balance without leaving enough for the displayed network fee.
4. Continue to the confirmation screen.
5. Select the red insufficient-balance warning to open Balance Required.
6. Review the required, available, and shortfall amounts, then close the sheet without confirming the transaction.

To reproduce an insufficient network fee balance with a token, use a wallet that holds the token but does not hold enough of the network's native fee coin. Gem Wallet should identify the missing fee asset before the transaction is submitted.

caution

Use an address you control and stop before confirmation. Never broadcast a transaction solely to reproduce an error.

Fix an Insufficient Funds Error

1. Confirm the asset and network. Open the asset in Gem Wallet and verify which blockchain it uses.
2. Review the available balance. Pending transactions or locked and staked assets may reduce what can currently be spent.
3. Open Balance Required. Select the error on the confirmation screen and note the required, available, and shortfall amounts.
4. Check the fee coin. Make sure the wallet holds the correct native coin on the same network.
5. Use the supported acquisition action. Select Get asset or Buy asset in the Balance Required sheet. Available choices depend on the asset and region and can include buying, swapping, or receiving the fee asset.
6. Reduce the transaction amount. Leave enough balance for the estimated fee and any applicable network requirement.
7. Review the confirmation screen. Check the amount, network fee, and total before submitting.
8. Wait for pending transactions. Another pending transfer may already be reserving part of the balance.
9. Refresh and update the app. Confirm the device is online and Gem Wallet is on the latest available version.

After funding the correct fee coin or reducing the amount, create a fresh quote or transaction so the app can calculate the current network fee.

Why Does the Error Remain After Adding Funds?

Check these common causes:

• The fee coin was received on a different network. The asset name may be the same even though the network is different.
• The new deposit is still pending. Wait until the funding transaction is confirmed.
• The transaction amount still uses the full balance. Reduce it further to leave room for a changing fee.
• Another transaction is pending. The explorer may show funds that are already committed to an unconfirmed transaction.
• The action has an additional requirement. Some networks require a reserve, storage deposit, token-account rent, or minimum stake.
• The fee changed. Network demand can change between preparing and submitting a transaction.

Insufficient Funds When Sending USDT

First identify the USDT network. The required fee asset is different for each version:

• USDT-TRC20 requires TRX.
• USDT-ERC20 requires ETH on Ethereum.
• USDT-BEP20 requires BNB.
• USDT on TON requires GRAM.

For detailed checks, see Why Can't I Send USDT?.

Does Gem Wallet Charge the Network Fee?

No. Network fees are paid to the blockchain's miners or validators. Gem Wallet displays the estimated network fee and submits the transaction, but it does not keep that fee.

Get More Help

If the balance and fee coin are sufficient but the error continues, open Settings > Support in Gem Wallet and provide:

• The asset and blockchain network.
• The action you attempted.
• The exact error message.
• Your public wallet address, if needed for investigation.
• A screenshot with sensitive information hidden.

caution

Never provide a recovery phrase or private key. They are not required to diagnose an insufficient funds error.