Bitcoin fees are paid to miners for including a transaction in a block. The fee is not based only on the BTC amount. It mainly depends on transaction size and the fee rate chosen by the sender.

What sat/vB means

sat/vB means satoshis per virtual byte. A larger transaction can cost more even if it sends a small BTC amount because it takes more block space.

Why fees change

Blocks have limited space. When the mempool is busy, users compete by attaching higher fee rates. When demand is lower, slower transactions can often confirm with lower fees.

Fast vs economy

Fast fee settings target quicker confirmation. Economy settings are better for non-urgent transfers. If a transaction is not time-sensitive, checking current fees can save money.

Avoiding overpayment

  • Check a fee page before sending.
  • Use a wallet with custom fee control.
  • Avoid consolidating many small UTXOs during high-fee periods.
  • Send a test transaction when learning a new wallet.

Use the Bitcoin fees page for live recommendations and read the mempool guide to understand confirmation pressure.