How to Replace a Stalled Token Approval

A stalled token approval can be replaced by submitting a new transaction from the same wallet with the same nonce and a higher fee. The network can include only one transaction with that nonce, so the replacement either completes the approval or cancels it, depending on what you submit.

What does replacing a token approval do?

An ERC-20 approval lets a specified address spend up to a chosen amount of your tokens. The token contract records that allowance when the approval transaction succeeds; until then, a pending approval has not changed it.

On Ethereum-compatible networks, each account’s transactions use sequential nonces. A replacement uses the pending transaction’s nonce, and a higher fee can make it more likely to be picked up; fee bump rules vary by network and wallet. For context on transfers between chains, read about quickswap’s cross-chain treasury routes.

How do you replace a pending approval?

First, find the pending transaction in your wallet or the relevant network’s block explorer, and note its nonce. If your wallet offers “Speed up,” use that to resubmit the approval with a higher fee; it keeps the original transaction details and nonce.

If you need to cancel it instead, use the wallet’s cancellation option or send a replacement transaction with the same nonce. A cancellation usually uses a zero-value transfer to your own address. After it confirms, submit the approval again as a new transaction.

• Keep the replacement on the same network and from the same account.
• Use the pending transaction’s exact nonce.
• Set a fee above the original, following the wallet’s current estimate and that network’s replacement rules.
• Wait for confirmation before submitting another approval.

How can you check whether the approval worked?

Open the transaction in the block explorer and check its status. A confirmed replacement approval should show a successful receipt; a confirmed cancellation should show a successful replacement transaction, while the original approval will not execute.

Then check the token’s allowance for the intended spender on that same network. Confirm the token contract, spender address, and approved amount match what you intended. ERC-20’s approve function sets the allowance to the new value, replacing the previous allowance for that spender.

What should you do if it still appears stuck?

Check whether an earlier transaction from the wallet is pending: later nonces generally wait behind it, so replacing a later approval may not clear the queue. If the explorer shows the replacement as confirmed but the app still says pending, refresh the app and verify the allowance on-chain before trying again.