TRON Network: Why “Insufficient TRX to Cover Network Fees” Occurs

The TRON network is one of the most popular blockchains for USDT (TRC-20) transfers, thanks to its high speed and low transaction fees. However, users often encounter the error message: “Insufficient TRX to cover network fees”, which prevents transactions from being processed. This issue arises from the unique gas payment mechanism in TRON, where every operation requires resources such as Energy, Bandwidth, or the native token TRX itself.

In this article, you’ll learn how transaction fees work on the TRON blockchain, why the “Not Enough TRX” error appears, and how to avoid it.

Why Does the “Not Enough Tron” Error Occur?

The “Not Enough TRX” error can occur in several situations:

• Insufficient TRX in your balance:
  If your wallet doesn’t have enough TRX, you cannot pay the required transaction (gas) fee.
• TRX is required for any transaction:
  Even if you have USDT, every transaction on the TRON network requires TRX — sometimes up to 27 TRX per transaction, depending on the recipient’s wallet status and available resources.
• Zero TRX in your wallet:
  If your wallet balance is 0 TRX, the system cannot deduct the fee and will show an error.
• Lack of Energy and Bandwidth:
  If you don’t have enough Energy or Bandwidth, TRX is burned to cover the transaction fee. If there’s not enough TRX, the transaction fails.

How Do Fees Work in the TRON (TRX) Network?

TRON uses a hybrid fee model, where transaction costs are covered by:

1. Bandwidth
   Required for TRX and TRC-10 token operations.
2. Energy
   The key resource for interacting with USDT and TRC-20 tokens.
3. Payment in TRX
   If you lack Energy and Bandwidth, TRX is automatically burned to pay the trx usdt transaction fee. If there’s not enough trx, the transaction attempt will return an “insufficient trx balance for gas fee” error.

Why Is Tron (TRX) Needed for USDT (TRC-20) Transfers?

USDT on TRON is a TRC-20 token operating via smart contracts. Any operation with it requires:

• Account Activation:
  A new TRON wallet must have at least 1 TRX for activation.
• Gas Fee Payment:
  Even if you have USDT, the transaction needs TRX or Energy for confirmation and execution.
• Network Security:
  TRX is burned to maintain the blockchain’s security and proper operation.

Renting Energy to Pay TRON Fees

The most effective way to solve the “not enough trx” problem is to rent energy through services like TR.ENERGY. This is especially useful for active users making many transactions.

How TR.ENERGY Works:

• The service provides access to Energy for a small fee in TRX;
• Purchased Energy is automatically used during transactions.

This eliminates the need to freeze (stake) large amounts of TRX to obtain Energy.

Advantages:

• Save up to 69% on trx usdt transaction fee for USDT transfers;
• No need to lock TRX as in staking;
• Flexible conditions—rent Energy for a single transaction or daily;
• Automatic Energy replenishment as needed.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Go to https://tr.energy/en;
2. Enter your TRX wallet;
3. Select the number of transactions;
4. Choose the rental period;
5. Click “Buy Energy”;
6. Pay the order;
7. Receive Energy to your TRX address.

Now, when you transfer USDT TRC20, the TRON system automatically uses the rented Energy.

Staking TRX for Energy and Bandwidth

TRON allows you to get Energy and Bandwidth by staking TRX. Before staking, ensure your crypto wallet has TRX. Bandwidth is credited free to all users daily (600 units), but Energy is only gained via staking.

How to Stake TRX in TR.ENERGY:

1. Go to https://tr.energy/en/staking-tron/
2. Click “Login”
3. Enter your email address
4. Get a code by email
5. Authorize your account

Then:

• Connect your wallet (e.g., TronLink or Wallet Connect)
• Grant rights for staking and Energy delegation (100 TRX)
• Confirm via “Sign” in your wallet
• Subscribe in the “Subscription” section
• Click “Stake”
• Deposit a minimum of 7000 TRX and confirm staking

After staking, TRON will automatically credit the minimum amount of Energy (about 65,150 units for 1–2 transactions). The more TRX you stake, the more Energy you receive.

Important:

The minimum Energy amount ranges from 65,150 to 130,300 units.

• If the recipient wallet already has USDT, 65,150 Energy is consumed.
• If the recipient has 0 USDT, 130,300 Energy is consumed.

Staking TRX in TR.ENERGY is the most cost-effective way to work with TRON. It not only covers fees but also brings up to 17% annual yield.

Replenishing Your TRON (TRX) Balance

To make transactions on TRON, you must maintain a minimum TRX balance. It’s impossible to completely avoid trx transfer fee when sending USDT TRC-20. However, you can buy TRON Energy for just a few TRX, so it’s important to top up your wallet in advance.

Main Ways to Top Up Your TRX Wallet:

• Crypto Exchanges: Binance, Bybit, OKX, BingX. Register, complete KYC, buy TRX, and withdraw to your TRON wallet.
• Exchange Services: Alfabit, SwapCoin, E-Change, etc. Enter the amount in fiat or TRX, specify your wallet address, pay, and wait for the coins to arrive.
• P2P Platforms: Binance P2P, Bybit P2P, OKX P2P, BingX P2P. Register, complete KYC, choose a TRX seller, make a deal, send fiat, and receive TRX.

Why Is Energy Rental More Profitable for Frequent Transfers?

For active users making hundreds or thousands of transactions daily, renting Energy through TR.ENERGY is the most cost-effective way to work with the TRON blockchain.

Insufficient TRX Balance for Gas Fee

To pay the gas fee in TRON, users spend about 25–27 TRX per transaction. The “insufficient trx balance for gas fee” error means you don’t have enough or any TRX in your wallet—even if you have USDT. This error also appears if your TRX is “frozen” (staked), as the blockchain won’t allow the transaction.

What Is Gas in the TRON Network?

Gas in TRON, like in Ethereum, is a unit of computational resources needed to execute transactions and smart contracts. It determines trx transfer fee and keeps the network secure by preventing spam and abuse. In Ethereum, gas is paid in ETH. In TRON, it’s paid in TRX or internal resources (Energy and Bandwidth).

How to Solve the “Not Enough TRX” Problem

To avoid the insufficient trx balance for gas fee error:

• Always keep TRX tokens in your wallet;
• Rent TRON Energy via TR.ENERGY;
• Top up your wallet with TRX before sending USDT TRC-20;
• Freeze TRX for staking to get Energy for transactions.

Conclusion

The “not enough trx” error in the TRON network is common but easily solved. It appears because TRX acts as both a cryptocurrency and a resource for paying trx usdt transaction fee. To avoid issues, always maintain a minimum TRX balance, use staking for Energy or Bandwidth, and consider renting Energy via TR.ENERGY. These methods ensure smooth USDT TRC-20 transfers and significantly reduce fees—especially for frequent transactions.

By following these rules, you can eliminate fee problems on the TRON network and fully enjoy its advantages.