Overview
When you use a Safe custody account (for example, a Safe multisig) with Coinbase Token Manager, token transfers are proposed from the Safe but executed by a signer.
A common question is which wallet actually pays the gas fees for these transactions.
Who pays the gas for Safe‑based token transfers?
For token transfers made with a Safe custody account:
The signer wallet that executes the Safe transaction pays the gas
Gas is not paid directly by the Safe contract itself
In practice, this means:
When an admin or signer approves and executes a Safe transaction (for example, a payout or transfer initiated by Coinbase Token Manager),
The gas fees are charged to that signer’s wallet (the externally owned account they are using to sign),
The Safe contract is the source of the tokens being moved, but the signer’s wallet covers the network gas costs for the transaction.
Make sure your Safe signers have sufficient native token balance (for example, ETH on Ethereum) in their signer wallets to cover gas when executing Safe transactions.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact our support team directly at:
tm-support@coinbase.com
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