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

# Upfront fees for CCTP

> Quote and pay CCTP Fast Transfer and Forwarding Service fees upfront on the source blockchain so the recipient receives the full transferred USDC amount.

Upfront fees let you pay CCTP Fast Transfer and Forwarding Service fees on the
source blockchain, separately from the USDC transfer, instead of having them
deducted from the transfer amount.

You request a signed quote from Circle, approve the
[`TokenMessengerWithFees`](/cctp/references/contract-interfaces#tokenmessengerwithfees)
contract to spend the USDC transfer amount plus the fee (if you're paying it in
USDC), then pay the quoted fee and submit the burn in one call to that contract
on the source blockchain. Because Circle collects the fee separately from the
USDC transfer, the recipient receives the full transferred amount.

## Benefits of paying fees upfront

By default, CCTP deducts fees from the USDC you move. Both
[Fast Transfer](/cctp/concepts/fees) and
[Forwarding Service](/cctp/concepts/forwarding-service) fees are set through the
`maxFee` parameter on the burn and taken from the transferred amount, so the
amount minted is smaller than the amount burned. The exact fee resolves at
attestation time. To deliver a specific amount, you have to burn that amount
plus the fees and account for fee variability.

Paying fees upfront changes this:

* **Deliver an exact amount without extra math.** You burn exactly the amount
  the recipient receives and pay the fees separately, so you don't need to
  inflate the burn to cover the Fast Transfer and Forwarding Service fees. The
  recipient receives the full amount, whether the transfer uses Fast Transfer,
  the Forwarding Service, or both.
* **Pay in the native gas token or USDC.** You choose whether the fee is charged
  in the source blockchain's native gas token or in USDC.
* **Predictable pricing.** A signed quote fixes the fee for a short expiry
  window, so you know the exact cost before you submit the transfer. Circle
  honors the quote and processes the transfer at the quoted price even if fees
  rise after you request it, as long as you submit before the quote expires.