Tonkeeper Battery
Subscription feature in the Tonkeeper wallet where gas fees for transfers and dApp interactions are paid by a sponsor relayer instead of the user.
Aliases: battery tonkeeper, tonkeeper gasless, battery subscription
Tonkeeper Battery is a feature of the Tonkeeper wallet that pays transaction fees through a third-party relayer rather than deducting them in TON from the user’s balance. The user tops up the “battery” with USDT, card, or TON, and from that point can send jettons and sign dApp transactions without holding any native TON. This removes a classic onboarding hurdle: a newcomer no longer has to “buy TON first just to be able to buy USDT”.
How it works technically
Battery relies on two building blocks:
- Wallet V5 extensions. The fifth-generation wallet contract (W5) lets external extensions sign messages on the owner’s behalf within defined rules. The Battery server acts as such an extension.
- Sponsor relayer. Tonkeeper’s server accepts the user-signed intent, wraps it into a regular internal message, and pays the TON gas from its own account. The cost is debited from the Battery balance in equivalent terms.
The user signs the action with their private key as usual; on-chain it looks like a normal message sent by the wallet contract with the fee paid.
Pricing
The cost of a single Battery-paid operation depends on the action type and current network load. Indicative figures published by Tonkeeper through 2024–2025:
- jetton transfer (USDT and similar) — a few cents equivalent;
- DEX swap, NFT action, TonConnect-signed transaction — more expensive, as more gas is consumed;
- receiving a jetton — free, as it is in regular TON (recipients never pay fees).
Exact tariffs and supported operations are documented in Tonkeeper’s docs and may change.
Why it matters
- USDT-first onboarding. A user buys USDT on an exchange or via P2P, withdraws it to Tonkeeper, and sends it straight away — no “buy TON for gas first” step.
- Payment use cases. Shops and services can accept USDT-jetton without explaining gas to the customer.
- Gaming and gifts. Mini-apps and gift services can pre-fund a small Battery for new users so that the first action is free.
Limitations
- Battery is a centralized service: if Tonkeeper’s relayer is down, gas cannot be paid through it (although basic on-chain TON sends from the wallet still work).
- These are not “free transactions” — someone pays the gas; in this case Tonkeeper collects it upfront through the subscription model.
- Similar mechanics exist in other wallets (for example, Telegram’s Wallet) but with different rules and pricing.