Articles on: Swaps and Bridges

How to Swap Tokens in Pera Wallet

How to Swap Tokens in Pera Wallet


What is a P.E.R.A. Swap?


A P.E.R.A. swap lets you exchange one asset for another directly within your wallet — no exchange account needed, no withdrawals, no waiting. Pera Wallet connects you to decentralized swap protocols on the Algorand blockchain, so trades settle in seconds for a fraction of a cent.


Key points before you start:


  • Swaps happen on-chain. Once confirmed, they're final and can't be reversed.
  • You'll need a small amount of ALGO in your account to cover network fees (under $0.01 per transaction).
  • Swap rates are determined by liquidity pools, not Pera. Prices may fluctuate between the time you review and confirm a swap.


Powered by P.E.R.A.


Swaps in Pera Wallet are now powered by P.E.R.A., a powerful aggregator that finds you the best available rate across multiple platforms including:

  • Vestige
  • Tinyman
  • Folks Finance
  • Deflex (TxnLabs)

This ensures that every trade you make gets routed through the most efficient path available at the time.

Once you enter an amount, P.E.R.A. automatically calculates the best swap quote based on current pool conditions. You’ll instantly see how much of the "to" asset you’ll receive.

When you're happy with the quote, tap "Swap" to proceed to the confirmation screen. There, you can review all details, including advanced options like Slippage Tolerance. Each feature is explained in the interface using helpful tooltips.


How to Swap Tokens on Pera Mobile


Step 1: Open the Swap Feature


  1. Open Pera Wallet
  2. Tap Swap from the main navigation at the bottom of the screen


Step 2: Select Your Assets


  1. In the From field, choose the asset you want to swap away (e.g., ALGO)
  2. In the To field, choose the asset you want to receive (e.g., USDC)
  3. Enter the amount you'd like to swap


Step 3: Review the Swap Details


Before confirming, you'll see:


  • Exchange rate — how much of the receiving asset you'll get
  • Price impact — how your trade affects the pool price (keep this low, ideally under 1%)
  • Minimum received — the least you'll receive after accounting for slippage
  • Network fee — the Algorand transaction fee (typically under $0.01)
  • Pera fee — Pera charges a 1% flat fee


Step 4: Confirm and Sign


  1. Slide Swap to confirm
  2. Your swap will settle on-chain — typically within seconds


Your new tokens will appear in your account balance immediately after the transaction confirms.


Understanding Slippage


Slippage is the difference between the expected price of a swap and the actual price when your transaction executes. It happens because prices in liquidity pools shift with every trade.


Pera includes a slippage tolerance setting. This is the maximum price change you're willing to accept. If the price moves beyond your tolerance before your transaction confirms, the swap will fail and your funds stay in your wallet — you'll only lose the small network fee.


Recommended settings:


  • For major pairs (ALGO/USDC): 0.5% — 1%
  • For smaller or volatile tokens: 1% — 3%
  • If your swap keeps failing, try increasing slippage slightly



Swap Fees


Pera Wallet charges a 1% fee on all swaps. The other costs you'll encounter are:


  • Algorand network fee: Under $0.01 per transaction
  • Liquidity pool fee: A small percentage (usually 0.25–0.3%) charged by the DEX protocol — this goes to liquidity providers, not to Pera
  • Price impact: Not a fee, but large swaps in low-liquidity pools will move the price against you



Troubleshooting Swaps


Swap failed or timed out?

Your funds are safe. Failed swaps return assets to your account (minus the network fee). Common causes: slippage tolerance too low, insufficient ALGO for fees, or temporary liquidity issues. Try again with slightly higher slippage.


I don't see the token I want to swap to.

Only verified Algorand Standard Assets (ASAs) appear by default. You can search for any ASA by name or ID. Be cautious with unverified assets — check them on Pera Explorer before swapping.


My balance didn't update after swapping.

Pull down to refresh your home screen. If the token is new to your account, it may need to be added as an opted-in asset first (Pera will prompt you during the swap).






Need more help? Chat with us or visit perawallet.app/contact-us.

Updated on: 14/05/2026

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