Fees should never be a surprise. This page sets out every category of cost you may meet when acquiring or trading an Asteria registry entry, who receives each one, and how they combine in a single sale. The fee model is planned, and no rate on this page is final. Where numbers help to explain the mechanics, they are labelled as illustrative.
The four planned fee categories#
| Category | When it applies | Paid to | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary sale price | Buying an entry for the first time from Asteria | Asteria | Set per entry, published before the sale |
| Network (gas) fee | Every on-chain transaction | The network's validators — not Asteria | Varies with network demand |
| Marketplace fee | Secondary sales on Asteria's own marketplace | Asteria | Planned, rate to be announced |
| Creator royalty | Secondary sales, signalled via ERC-2981 | Asteria, for registry upkeep | Planned, rate to be announced |
Primary sale price#
The price of an entry in the primary sale is fixed and published in advance, as described in Pricing & tiers. No marketplace fee or royalty is added on top in the primary sale. The prices shown on this preview site are demo values.
Network (gas) fees#
Every action that writes to the blockchain — minting, transferring, listing in some designs, accepting an offer — costs a network fee, often called gas. Gas is paid to the network that processes the transaction, not to Asteria, and its level depends on how busy the network is at that moment. The settlement network has not been chosen yet; fee levels differ greatly between networks, and this is one of the factors in that decision.
Your wallet shows an estimate before you confirm. A transaction that fails can still consume gas.
Marketplace fee#
When the secondary market opens, Asteria plans to charge a fee on sales completed on its own marketplace, deducted from the seller's proceeds. The fee will cover the operation of the marketplace itself: order matching, the dashboard, support and security monitoring.
Creator royalty#
Asteria plans to attach a creator royalty to secondary sales. The royalty is signalled on-chain using ERC-2981, the standard way for a token contract to tell marketplaces who should receive a royalty and how much. Royalty income is intended to fund the registry's upkeep: verifying catalogue data, hosting metadata and media, and running the public registry explorer.
An illustrative worked example#
To show how the fees combine, here is a secondary sale on Asteria's marketplace. Illustrative only — final figures will be published before launch. The amounts use an abstract unit so that the example does not depend on any particular currency or network.
| Line | Illustrative rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price agreed between buyer and seller | — | 100.00 units |
| Marketplace fee, deducted from the seller | 2.5% (placeholder) | −2.50 units |
| Creator royalty via ERC-2981, deducted from the seller | 5% (placeholder) | −5.00 units |
| Seller receives | 92.50 units | |
| Network fee | Set by the network | Paid separately in gas |
A few things the example shows:
- The buyer pays the sale price, plus the gas for their own transaction.
- Fees come out of the seller's proceeds, not on top of the buyer's price.
- Gas is separate and goes to the network, whatever the sale price.
And for the primary sale, the arithmetic is simpler: the published price, plus gas. No marketplace fee, no royalty.
What you will always see before you sign#
Whichever rates are finally adopted, the checkout is designed so that:
- Every fee is itemised before you confirm, with the recipient named.
- The network fee estimate comes from your wallet, not from Asteria.
- There are no hidden spreads, account fees, or charges for viewing or downloading your certificate.
- Any change to the marketplace fee or royalty rate is announced in advance and recorded in the changelog.
Refunds and cancellations#
The refund and cancellation policy is to be announced and will form part of the binding terms of sale. Two facts shape it:
- On-chain transactions cannot be reversed. Once a token is minted or transferred, the network has no undo. A refund, if due, would be a separate payment.
- Consumer law may give you rights — for example, the right of withdrawal for distance contracts in the European Union, which has specific rules for digital content. How these apply will be confirmed by counsel and set out in the terms. See Terms overview and Legal framework.
Listings and offers on the secondary market can be cancelled by their creator before they are accepted. Cancelling an on-chain listing may itself cost gas, depending on the final design.
Taxes#
You are responsible for any taxes that apply to your purchases, sales and transfers. Depending on where you live, that may include VAT or a similar consumption tax on the primary sale, and taxes that may apply when you sell or otherwise dispose of a token. How tax will be displayed at checkout is to be announced.