What an Affiliate Fee Means in a Bridge Swap Quote

An affiliate fee in a bridge swap quote is a charge that may pay the app or service that arranged the trade, and it can reduce the amount you receive. The fee is separate from costs such as network fees and the price difference between buying and selling a token. A quote should show which fee applies and which token pays it.

A bridge swap moves value between blockchains, often by swapping tokens along the way. For a walkthrough of the steps, see this guide to making a cross-chain swap with QuickSwap. The route and fee labels depend on the service behind the quote, so check the amount you will receive as well as the fee breakdown.

What does the affiliate fee pay for?

An affiliate fee pays an integrator, the app or service connecting a user to a swap route. In its cross-chain API docs, 0x calls this an “integrator fee” and says it appears when the request includes a fee rate and recipient. The fee is deducted from the amount being sold.

That is one implementation, not a universal rule. Another service may use a different label or show the fee in another part of the quote. It may be a percentage or a set amount. The key is to find the fee’s size, currency and effect on the final output.

How can I tell what the quote includes?

Read the quote’s fee breakdown and compare the input and expected output amounts. A fee can be visible as its own line while already being reflected in the amount you will receive. Don’t subtract it a second time if the quote says it is included.

• Affiliate or integrator fee: paid to the service that arranged the route.
• Network fee: pays for transaction processing on one or more chains.
• Bridge or relay fee: may pay for moving a message or assets between chains.
• Swap cost: includes the trading fee and the effect of the route’s exchange prices.

These costs can be charged in different tokens. The 0x fee docs, for example, show integrator fees as a token amount, while the bridge-native fee can be denominated in the chain’s native asset. Look for the fee token as well as the fee value.

How should I compare two bridge swap quotes?

Compare how much each quote says will arrive, using the same input amount, token pair and destination chain. A route with a lower affiliate fee may still give a smaller output if its exchange rate or other costs are less favorable.

Quotes can change before a swap is sent because prices and network conditions move. Check the quote again before approving the transaction, and confirm that the fee details and expected output still match. If the service does not explain an affiliate fee or its effect on the output, treat the quote as incomplete.