Fees & Payments FAQs
General Questions:
Q: When do I pay fees? A: Platform fee at auction creation. Success fee when auction sells (auto-deducted).
Q: Can I get a refund on platform fee? A: No, platform fee is non-refundable even if auction doesn't sell.
Q: What if I don't have enough ETH for gas? A: Transaction will fail. Get free ETH from the faucet before trying again.
Q: Can I pay everything with TBASE? A: You can pay platform fees and bids with TBASE, but gas fees require ETH.
Q: Are fees the same on mainnet? A: Yes, same fee structure. Only difference is real ETH instead of testnet.
Currency Questions:
Q: How do I know which currency an auction accepts? A: It's shown on the auction card and detail page (ETH or TBASE icon).
Q: Can I switch currencies after creating auction? A: No, currency is locked at creation. Create new auction if needed.
Q: Is TBASE valuable? A: No, it's testnet only with zero real value. Free to claim from faucet.
Q: What's the TBASE to ETH ratio? A: 1:1 on testnet for simplicity. Both are free and equal.
Gas Questions:
Q: Why are gas fees so low? A: Base Sepolia is a testnet with low usage. Mainnet gas will be higher but still cheap (L2 benefits).
Q: Who sets gas prices? A: Network validators based on demand. AstaVerse has no control over gas.
Q: Can gas fees exceed my bid? A: Extremely unlikely. Gas is typically 0.0001 ETH vs bids of 0.1+ ETH.
Q: What if my transaction runs out of gas? A: Transaction fails, gas is lost, but you can retry with higher gas limit.
Fee Questions:
Q: Why 5% success fee? A: Covers escrow, disputes, platform maintenance, and is far lower than traditional platforms (13-50%).
Q: Do buyers pay any fees? A: Only gas fees. No buyer premium or hidden charges.
Q: What if seller cancels after I bid? A: Early cancellation returns all bids. Platform fee is not refunded to seller.
Q: Can fees change? A: Only with advance notice and community input. Current fees are fixed.
Fee Optimization Strategies
For Sellers:
Minimize Platform Fees:
Choose appropriate auction type (image < digital < physical)
Bundle similar items if possible
Start with lower-tier auctions to test market
Maximize Revenue:
Set competitive starting prices
Write detailed descriptions (fewer disputes)
Use high-quality photos (attract bids)
Choose popular payment currency
Smart Pricing:
For Buyers:
Minimize Costs:
Bid strategically (fewer bids = less gas)
Use currency you have most of
Batch multiple wins in one session
Confirm delivery promptly (save gas on auto-release)
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