Non-Sponsored UserOps

Non-Sponsored UserOps empower users to cover transaction fees on their own, maintaining a high level of control and flexibility. Rather than relying on a sponsor or external paymaster, these methods allow users to pay directly in their preferred currency.

Key Advantages

1. Full Autonomy Users retain complete responsibility for their gas fees, aligning cost management with their specific preferences and usage patterns.

2. Streamlined Setup For transactions paid in native tokens, there is no need for additional infrastructure or smart contracts—making the process straightforward.

3. Flexible Payment Options With support for both native tokens and ERC20 tokens, users can choose the most convenient or cost-effective method for them.

How It Works

1. Paying with Native Tokens

1. User Operation Submission The user creates a User Operation (UserOp), specifying they will pay for gas using the network’s native token (e.g., ETH on Ethereum).

2. Bundling A bundler collects and processes these UserOps, sending them to the network.

3. Gas Payment Because the user pays in the native token, no paymaster is required. The transaction’s gas fee is automatically deducted from the user’s balance in that native currency.

This approach is straightforward, as it leverages the blockchain’s core mechanism for gas settlement. However, users must hold enough native tokens in their account to cover transaction fees.

2. Paying with ERC20 Tokens

1. User Operation Creation The user opts to pay gas fees with an ERC20 token instead of the native token.

2. ERC20 Paymaster A specialized ERC20 paymaster is utilized to facilitate fee payments in the chosen ERC20 token.

3. Transaction Execution The ERC20 paymaster confirms the user’s token balance, covers the gas fee on the user’s behalf, and then receives the equivalent amount in ERC20 tokens from the user.

This model allows users who might not have native tokens on hand to still interact with the blockchain. By leveraging ERC20 paymasters, applications can offer more flexible fee payment methods while ensuring network fees are covered.

When to Consider Non-Sponsored UserOps

• Direct Control of Funds If you prefer to manage fees and ensure you always have enough gas in your wallet, non-sponsored UserOps are ideal.

• Utility Tokens If your dApp operates with a specific ERC20 token that users already hold, allowing them to use that token for gas fees streamlines the user experience.

• Simple Integration Paying with native tokens requires no extra infrastructure, making integration quick for dApp developers.