How to Cancel a Stuck Polygon Transaction Without Losing Gas

05 October 2026

If your Polygon transaction is stuck pending, you can cancel it without losing your gas fee by sending a replacement transaction with the same nonce, a higher gas price, and a zero-value transfer to yourself. This is known as a "nonce override" or "cancel transaction." It works on Polygon because the network processes transactions in nonce order, and a replacement with a higher gas price will be prioritized by validators. The original gas fee is not refunded, but you avoid wasting it on a transaction that never confirms.

What "Stuck" Means on Polygon

A transaction gets stuck when you set a gas price too low for current network conditions. On Polygon, validators prioritize transactions with higher gas prices. If your transaction has a low gas price, it may sit in the mempool (the queue of pending transactions) for hours or days, especially during congestion. The transaction is not lost - it just hasn't been picked up. The gas fee is only deducted when the transaction is confirmed. Until then, the MATIC remains in your wallet.

The standard method: nonce override

Every transaction from your wallet has a nonce - a sequential number starting from 0 for your first transaction. The Polygon network processes transactions from your address in strict nonce order. A stuck transaction with nonce 5 blocks any transaction with nonce 6 from being processed, even if the later transaction has a higher gas price.

To cancel, you send a new transaction with: - The same nonce as the stuck one - A higher gas price (typically 1.5x to 2x the current average) - A value of 0 MATIC sent to your own address

This replacement signals to validators: "Ignore the old transaction with this nonce and confirm this one instead." Once the replacement confirms, the stuck transaction is effectively cancelled. The gas fee for the replacement is paid, but the original transaction's fee is never deducted because it never confirmed.

Step-by-Step: Using MetaMask

1. Open MetaMask and ensure you are on the Polygon network. Check the network name in the top left.

2. Find the stuck transaction in your activity list. Click on it to see the details, including the nonce. Write down the nonce number.

3. Enable custom nonce in MetaMask:

4. Click your account icon (top right) > Settings > Advanced

5. Scroll to "Customize transaction nonce" and toggle it on

6. Send a cancel transaction:

7. Click "Send"
8. In the "To" field, paste your own wallet address
9. In the "Amount" field, enter 0 (or a very small amount like 0.0001 MATIC)

10. Click "Next"

11. Set the nonce and gas:

12. In the gas fee section, click "Edit" or "Advanced"
13. Set the gas price (Gwei) to at least 1.5x the current average. Check PolygonScan for the current "Safe Low" and "Standard" gas prices.
14. In the nonce field, enter the nonce of the stuck transaction

15. Click "Save" or "Confirm"

16. Confirm the transaction. MetaMask will warn that you are replacing a pending transaction. Accept it. The new transaction will be broadcast.

17. Wait for confirmation. The replacement should confirm within a few minutes if you set the gas price high enough. Once confirmed, the stuck transaction is cancelled. You can now send new transactions normally.

Alternative: using polygonscan's "cancel" feature

PolygonScan offers a direct cancel button for pending transactions, but it is not available for all wallets. To use it:

1. Go to PolygonScan and paste your wallet address into the search bar
2. Find the stuck transaction and click its hash
3. Look for a "Cancel" button near the top of the transaction page
4. If available, click it and follow the prompts to connect your wallet and confirm

This method is simpler but less reliable - the button may not appear for all transactions or wallet types.

Important: the gas fee is not refunded

A common misunderstanding: cancelling a transaction does not refund the gas fee you originally set. The original transaction never confirmed, so no fee was charged. The replacement transaction has its own gas fee, which you must pay. The goal is to unblock your wallet, not recover MATIC that was never spent.

When not to cancel

Do not cancel if the transaction has already been pending for a very long time (e.g., over 24 hours) with no sign of confirmation. In rare cases, a validator may eventually pick it up, and your replacement could cause a conflict. Instead, wait for the transaction to drop from the mempool naturally - this can take days. Alternatively, use the "Speed Up" option in MetaMask, which sends a replacement with a higher gas price but the same nonce and data. Speed up is safer because it preserves the original transaction's intent (e.g., a token swap), whereas cancel discards it.

Preventing Stuck Transactions

• Always check current gas prices on PolygonScan before sending. Use the "Standard" or "Fast" setting, not "Slow."
• Set a gas price slightly above the current average to account for sudden spikes.
• Use MetaMask's "Advanced Gas Controls" to set a gas price manually if the automatic estimate is too low.
• Avoid sending multiple transactions in quick succession from the same wallet - wait for each to confirm.

If the cancel fails

If your replacement transaction also gets stuck, you likely set the gas price too low. Repeat the process with an even higher gas price. If you cannot get any transaction through, your wallet may be temporarily blocked by a stuck nonce. In that case, you can use a tool like "Mempool Explorer" (search for "Polygon mempool") to manually drop the transaction, but this is advanced and not recommended for most users. The safest fallback is to wait for network congestion to ease, then try again with a generous gas price.

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