How to Speed Up Transactions in MetaMask – Gas Fee Optimization Guide

When the Ethereum network is busy, transactions may remain pending because the gas fee was set too low. MetaMask provides several methods to speed up transactions and push them through when needed. This article covers all the ways to speed up MetaMask transactions and important considerations.

When Do You Need to Speed Up a Transaction?

You might need to speed up a transaction in these scenarios:

1. Time-sensitive operations: NFT mints, IDO participation, or other time-limited activities
2. Rapid market movements: Need to urgently move or sell assets
3. Long-pending transactions: Still unconfirmed after 10+ minutes
4. Blocked subsequent transactions: A pending transaction is blocking all following ones
5. Gas price spikes: Gas was normal at submission but the network became congested afterward

How to Use MetaMask's Built-in Speed-Up?

MetaMask provides a one-click speed-up feature — the simplest method.

Steps

1. Open MetaMask
2. Click the "Activity" tab at the bottom
3. Find the transaction showing "Pending"
4. Click on that transaction
5. Find the "Speed Up" button in the transaction details
6. MetaMask automatically suggests a higher gas price
7. Accept the suggestion or increase it further
8. Click "Submit" to confirm

How Speed-Up Works

Speed-up actually sends a new transaction to replace the original pending one:

• The new transaction uses the same nonce (sequence number)
• The new transaction has a higher gas price
• The content (recipient, amount) stays the same
• Miners/validators prioritize the higher gas transaction
• The original transaction is replaced — it won't execute twice

How to Manually Speed Up a Transaction?

If MetaMask's built-in speed-up button is unavailable or doesn't work, you can do it manually.

Prerequisites

1. Enable "Customize transaction nonce" in MetaMask Settings > Advanced
2. Note the nonce of the pending transaction (viewable on a block explorer or in MetaMask activity)

Steps

1. Initiate a new transaction in MetaMask
2. Use the same recipient and amount as the original (or send 0 ETH to yourself to cancel)
3. In gas settings, select "Advanced"
4. Set a higher Max Base Fee and Priority Fee
5. Enter the same nonce as the pending transaction
6. Submit the transaction

Gas Price Recommendations

• Check the current "Fast" gas price on etherscan.io/gastracker
• Set Max Base Fee to 1.2-1.5x the current Fast price
• Set Priority Fee to 2-5 Gwei
• This typically ensures confirmation within 1-2 blocks

How to Optimize Gas Under EIP-1559?

Ethereum uses the EIP-1559 fee mechanism, where gas consists of Base Fee and Priority Fee.

Base Fee

• Automatically adjusted by the network based on block utilization
• This portion is burned
• Shown as "Max Base Fee" in MetaMask

Priority Fee (Tip)

• A voluntary tip to validators
• Higher tips mean higher priority for your transaction
• Shown as "Max Priority Fee" in MetaMask

Gas Strategies for Speed-Up

Conservative:

• Max Base Fee: Current Base Fee x 1.2
• Priority Fee: 2 Gwei
• Expected: 1-3 blocks to confirm

Normal:

• Max Base Fee: Current Base Fee x 1.5
• Priority Fee: 3-5 Gwei
• Expected: 1-2 blocks to confirm

Urgent:

• Max Base Fee: Current Base Fee x 2
• Priority Fee: 10+ Gwei
• Usually confirmed in the next block

How to Check Current Optimal Gas Prices?

Recommended Tools

• Etherscan Gas Tracker: etherscan.io/gastracker — shows Low/Average/High tiers
• Blocknative Gas Estimator: blocknative.com/gas-estimator
• MetaMask built-in: Automatically shows current gas estimates during transactions

Reading Gas Data

Example from Gas Tracker:

• Low: 30 Gwei, estimated 5-10 minute confirmation
• Average: 50 Gwei, estimated 1-3 minute confirmation
• High: 80 Gwei, estimated 15-30 second confirmation

If your pending transaction's gas is below the current "Low" level, you need to speed it up.

Speed-Up Best Practices

Don't Set Gas Excessively High

High gas ensures fast confirmation but wastes money. Usually 20-50% above the current average is sufficient.

Ensure Sufficient Wallet Balance

Speeding up requires extra ETH for the higher gas. If the balance is insufficient, speed-up will fail.

Speed Up One Transaction at a Time

If multiple transactions are pending, speed up the one with the lowest nonce first. Subsequent transactions may execute automatically.

Speed-Up Doesn't Guarantee Instant Success

In extremely congested conditions, even sped-up transactions may take time.

How to Set Optimal Gas Before DApp Transactions?

Customizing Gas in MetaMask

1. Initiate a transaction in a DApp
2. MetaMask pops up a confirmation window
3. Click "Edit" in the gas fee area
4. Choose a preset speed level or go to "Advanced" for custom settings
5. Adjust Max Base Fee and Priority Fee as needed
6. Confirm and send

Preemptive High Gas Settings

For time-limited operations (like NFT mints), set higher gas from the start:

1. Check current gas levels
2. Set Max Base Fee to 1.5-2x current
3. Set Priority Fee to 5-10 Gwei
4. This prevents pending from the outset

Safety Tips

When speeding up transactions, keep these safety points in mind:

1. Confirm transaction content is unchanged: Speed-up only changes gas — don't alter the recipient or amount
2. Verify the nonce: Ensure the nonce is correct when operating manually — a wrong nonce creates a new transaction instead of replacing
3. Don't double-submit: Don't manually send a new transaction with identical content while also speeding up
4. Beware of scams: Don't trust strangers or tools offering to "help speed up your transaction" — they don't need your seed phrase
5. Consider canceling instead: If the transaction itself is problematic, canceling may be better than speeding up
6. Keep gas reserves: Maintain sufficient ETH in your wallet for emergency speed-ups

Transactions within Binance don't involve on-chain gas and won't experience pending issues. Only on-chain operations (wallet transfers, DApp interactions) require attention to gas and speed-up.

How much extra does speed-up cost?

Speed-up replaces the old transaction — you only pay gas once (the new higher amount). The extra cost depends on the gas price difference, typically a few to about ten dollars. If the original was 30 Gwei and you speed up to 60 Gwei, the fee roughly doubles.

Will the original transaction still execute after speed-up?

No. Once the speed-up transaction (same nonce) is confirmed, the original is automatically invalidated. You won't be charged twice or have the transaction execute twice.

Can all transaction types be sped up?

Yes. Simple transfers, token swaps, NFT purchases, contract interactions — as long as they're pending, they can be sped up. Speed-up doesn't change the transaction content, only the gas price.

How long until confirmation after speed-up?

It depends on the gas price you set and current network conditions. If set to the current "Fast" level, typically 1-3 blocks (about 15-45 seconds). During extreme congestion, it may take longer.

Do BSC or Polygon transactions need speed-up too?

Rarely. BSC and Polygon have extremely low gas fees, and default settings usually confirm quickly. But if pending does occur, the speed-up method is the same as on Ethereum. Download the Binance App (iOS users refer to the iOS installation guide) to significantly reduce situations requiring speed-up.