TronZap offers energy rental services to reduce USDT transfer costs on TRON, which have been high compared to Ethereum.
The issuance of USDT on the TRON network is projected to exceed $85 billion by February 2026, surpassing Ethereum. However, transferring USDT (TRC-20) on TRON can be costly, with fees ranging from $1.83 to $3.83 per transaction, compared to just $0.02 on Ethereum. This article explores the reasons behind TRON's high fees and how energy rental services can help users save up to 60% on costs.
Understanding the High Costs of USDT Transfers on TRON
Every USDT transfer on TRON requires executing a smart contract that consumes Energy, a key computational resource. A standard transfer to a wallet holding USDT uses around 65,000 Energy and 345 Bandwidth, while sending to a new wallet can consume about 131,000 Energy due to the need to create new storage.
Users can acquire Energy in three ways:
- Staking TRX: Requires locking TRX for 14 days to generate Energy. To produce 65,000 Energy daily, roughly 5,982 TRX (approximately $1,700) must be staked.
- Burning TRX: If a wallet lacks Energy, TRON deducts TRX directly based on the current resource price.
- Renting: Third-party services offer Energy rental for 3–5.5 TRX per transaction.
Energy prices have fluctuated with proposals aimed at managing transaction spam. Notably, Proposal #104 in August 2025 halved the Energy cost from 210 to 100 sun, marking a significant fee reduction.
Despite the fee reductions, the actual dollar savings remain modest due to rising TRX prices. For instance, sending USDT to a wallet currently costs about $1.85, while transferring to an empty wallet is approximately $3.72.
Nevertheless, TRON maintains a strong presence in the market, handling around 75% of all global USDT transfers, largely due to its established infrastructure and geographical user base.
Dealing with the OUT_OF_ENERGY Error
The OUT_OF_ENERGY error occurs when users attempt to send USDT without adequate Energy or TRX to cover fees. TRON's payment model prioritizes using available Energy before burning TRX. If resources are insufficient, the transaction fails, but consumed resources are not refunded.
“Many users are confused when they see USDT in their balance but cannot send it. The issue often lies in the lack of resources to execute the smart contract,” explains the TronZap team.
Renting Energy from services like TronZap can resolve this issue, allowing transactions to proceed without requiring TRX in the sender's wallet.
How Energy Rental Works
TronZap is an automated service that delegates staked Energy to user wallets. It operates under the TRON Builders League and allows for quick Energy rentals without transferring private keys. For example, using TronZap can reduce the cost of sending USDT to a wallet with USDT from $1.85 to $0.85, achieving a 54% savings.
TronZap offers multiple access methods for users, including a website for quick rentals, a Telegram bot, and a REST API for automated processes. The service also includes AML checks to ensure compliance and security for transactions.
“A payment service handling 500 USDT transfers daily could save around $500 by renting Energy through our API,” the TronZap team noted.
Competitive Landscape and Future Challenges
With the launch of the Plasma stablecoin platform and low gas prices on Ethereum, TRON faces increasing competition. However, it still leads in USDT issuance despite higher fees than Ethereum and other networks.
Renting Energy through services like TronZap presents a viable solution for users looking to reduce costs, making it an essential tool for those frequently transferring USDT on the TRON network.
