How to Deposit on Polymarket: pUSD, Networks and Minimums

Polymarket International now credits pUSD

Polymarket replaced USDC.e as its International exchange collateral during the April 28, 2026 exchange upgrade. Current balances, prediction-market trades, and redemptions use pUSD.

pUSD is an ERC-20 token on Polygon backed 1:1 by USDC. When a supported bridge route is used, the deposited asset is converted into pUSD for use on the exchange.

This change makes older tutorials risky. USDC, USDC.e, and pUSD are distinct tokens, and an asset available on one network is not automatically supported on another. Always generate instructions from the current Deposit screen.

Polymarket deposit steps

Confirm that polymarket.com International is available in the current physical location.
Sign in and open Deposit.
Select the available funding method, exact asset, and exact network.
Read the live minimum and any route-cost estimate.
Copy the displayed destination address and compare its first and last characters in the sending wallet or exchange.
If practical, make a smaller test that is still above the stated minimum before sending a large amount.
Save the transaction hash and wait for source-chain confirmations and bridge processing.
Confirm that the account shows credited pUSD before placing an order.

The geographic-availability guide explains why the eligibility check comes before funding.

Five details to verify before sending

Check	Why it matters
Asset	USDC, USDC.e, pUSD, and other tokens are not interchangeable.
Network	An address can look valid even when the sending chain is wrong.
Destination	Confirmed blockchain transfers are generally irreversible.
Minimum	A transfer below the route minimum may not process normally.
Expected pUSD	The quote can reflect gas, bridge, swap, price-impact, or slippage effects.

Current documentation lists routes across networks including Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, BNB Chain, Solana, Bitcoin, and Tron. Not every asset is supported on every network. Minimums also vary, and first-party examples have changed; the live route and supported-assets page are safer than a number copied from an old guide.

Example: a USDC deposit from Base

Assume the live Deposit screen currently offers USDC on Base.

Select USDC and Base inside Polymarket before opening the sending wallet.
Use the address generated for that exact route.
Choose Base in the sending wallet—not Ethereum, Polygon, or another network that also supports a token called USDC.
Check that the amount exceeds the minimum after any sending fee.
Review the expected pUSD credit before confirming.

This example is conditional on the route remaining supported. It is not permission to reuse a saved address with a different token or network.

Deposit cost and timing

Polymarket says it does not charge a direct platform deposit fee. The amount credited can still differ from the amount sent because a route may include network gas, bridge or app charges, a swap, price impact, or slippage. A wallet, exchange, or payment provider can also charge separately.

There is no single guaranteed completion time. Speed depends on the source network, congestion, finality requirements, and bridge processing. A source transaction marked successful can still be moving through the route.

How to troubleshoot a missing deposit

Find the transaction hash in the sending wallet or exchange.
Confirm that the transaction succeeded rather than merely being submitted.
Compare the actual token contract, source network, and recipient with the chosen route.
Check whether the net amount met the displayed minimum.
Allow for source confirmations and bridge processing.
Follow Polymarket's official missing-deposit recovery instructions with the hash, wallet address, asset, network, and amount.

A wrong asset, network, or address can make funds difficult or impossible to recover. Do not send a second transfer as a “fix” until the first transaction has been identified onchain, and never give a support contact a wallet seed phrase or private key.

Important funding boundaries

Depositing creates an available pUSD balance; it does not buy a market position.
Polymarket US uses separate funding documentation and should not be funded with an International pUSD route.
Polymarket Perps has separate collateral and account mechanics.
A supported technical route does not override a geographic restriction or local law.

After funds arrive, use the first-use guide before placing an order and the withdrawal guide before sending value back out.

Focused answers

Frequently asked questions

What currency does Polymarket International use now?

It uses pUSD for current balances, prediction-market trading, and redemption. Material that describes USDC.e as the active collateral predates the April 28, 2026 exchange upgrade.

Can I deposit USDC on Polymarket?

Yes, when the live flow lists that USDC network as supported. The bridge converts a supported deposit into pUSD. Do not send USDC through an unlisted network.

Does Polymarket charge a deposit fee?

Polymarket says it adds no direct platform deposit fee. Gas, bridge, swap, slippage, and outside-provider costs can still reduce the credit.

What is the minimum Polymarket deposit?

There is no safe universal number. Minimums vary by route and have changed, so use the amount shown for the selected asset and network at transfer time.

How long does a Polymarket deposit take?

It depends on source-chain confirmations, congestion, finality, and bridge processing. A fixed completion time should not be promised.

Can a wrong-network deposit be recovered?

Sometimes, but not always. Recovery depends on the token, chain, and destination. Follow official recovery instructions with the transaction hash; Polymarket cannot simply reverse an onchain transfer.

Bottom line

Treat every deposit as a specific route

Verify the live asset, network, address, and minimum before sending, keep the transaction hash, and expect a successful International deposit to appear as pUSD. Never substitute old USDC.e instructions or assume that the same token name makes two networks interchangeable.

Primary references

Sources checked for this guide

Sources were reviewed on August 2, 2026. Product rules, rates, availability, and interfaces can change; the linked first-party page controls when it differs from this summary.