Deposits4 min read
Why you should send exactly the quoted amount
Updated
Send a little more or less and a fixed rate can no longer apply. Here is what the AI agents do with an off-quote deposit, and how to get it right the first time.
Send the exact quoted amount because a fixed rate is locked for that amount only, for 30 minutes. If a different amount arrives, or it arrives late, the locked rate no longer applies. The deposit is then executed at the market rate at the time of execution or refunded automatically, and your order page shows which. Copy the amount from your order and make sure the full figure arrives.
What does a fixed quote lock?
When you create a fixed-rate order, the quote is tied to a specific deposit: this pair, this amount, within this window. The locked rate is a promise about that exact package. Change the amount and the promise no longer fits, because the rate was calculated for the figure you agreed to send.
This is not a penalty. It is just what a lock is. A price held steady against a moving market only makes sense for a defined amount and a defined time.
What happens if you send too much or too little?
The agents do not drop an off-quote deposit. Sentinel detects it, and the order resolves under a clear rule. The table shows each case next to the one where the amount is right:
| Case | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| The exact quoted amount, sent within 30 minutes on a fixed rate | The swap executes at the locked rate | The quoted amount, even if the market moved |
| A different amount on a fixed rate | Executed at the market rate at the time of execution, or refunded automatically; your order page shows which | The amount at the market rate, or the deposit back minus the network cost of sending it |
| The right amount, sent after the window | Executed at the market rate at the time of execution, or refunded automatically; your order page shows which | The amount at the market rate, or the deposit back minus the network cost of sending it |
| Below the minimum or above the maximum | Refunded automatically, not exchanged | The amount received, minus the network cost of sending it back |
| An extra or partial deposit on top of a fixed order | The additional amount can fall outside the fixed rate and be refunded rather than exchanged | If refunded, that amount minus the network cost of sending it back |
| Any amount within the limits on a floating rate | It settles at the market rate when the swap executes | The amount at that rate, which can be above or below the ≈ estimate |
A worked example: a fixed order quotes a 0.5000 ETH deposit. Sending 0.4950 ETH is off-quote, so the locked rate no longer applies, and the order page shows whether it runs at the market rate or is refunded.
So nothing is lost to a queue, but you may not get the rate you expected, and a refund still costs a network fee to send back. Getting the amount right the first time is the way to receive exactly what you were quoted.
How the agents handle the edge case
Behind the scenes, Sentinel is the agent watching the chain for your deposit. When the amount does not match a fixed-rate order, Sentinel raises the exception and Executor applies the rule: run it at the market rate, or refund it automatically.
In normal operation, nothing waits in a queue for a person to decide, because there is no person and no queue. That is also why no one asks who you are (see what no-KYC means in practice). It is the same machinery that delivers a correct deposit, just taking the alternative branch. You can see each step, and the agent that handled it, on your order page.
Which two mistakes change the amount?
Two habits cause most off-quote deposits: letting the wallet take its fee out of the amount, and rounding the figure. Both are easy to break:
- Letting the wallet subtract its fee from the amount. Some wallets deduct the network fee from the figure you type, so a little less than the quote actually leaves. Set the amount so the exact quoted figure arrives.
- Rounding. Sending a tidy round number instead of the precise quoted amount. Copy the figure from your order rather than typing it by hand.
How to get it right
- Copy the deposit amount straight from your order page.
- Make sure your wallet sends that amount net of its fee, so the full figure arrives.
- Send within the window. A late deposit falls out of the lock even if the amount is perfect.
- Use the exact network shown, and add a memo if one is required. See memos and destination tags.
What if the market moved a lot?
People sometimes worry that a mismatched deposit will be dumped at a bad price. The rule is set out in section 8 of the Terms. An off-quote deposit on a fixed order is executed at the market rate at the time of execution, or refunded automatically, for example when it fell below the minimum. Every confirmed deposit ends one of two ways: delivered, or refunded automatically.
When is a floating rate the better choice?
If you cannot control the exact amount, for example when sweeping a wallet or forwarding from a service that takes its own cut, a floating rate is more forgiving. It prices whatever arrives at the market rate at execution, so an off-by-a-little deposit still swaps cleanly. The trade-off is that the final figure is not fixed in advance. Read fixed vs floating rates to weigh it up.
For what happens once a refund is decided, see how automatic refunds work. To try it, start an ETH to BTC swap or swap BTC for ETH, browse the supported assets page, or read the FAQ for the exact limits on your pair.
This guide is general information about how crypto swaps work, not financial advice. Product facts follow the Terms and the Privacy policy.
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