If a swap or bridge does not complete, the returned asset can differ from the token you started with. The return address depends on the route. It may differ from the wallet that sent the original transaction or the intended destination address. This article explains why that can happen and how to check the token, network and amount you received.
Why did I receive a different token?
A route can include more than one step. Your original token may first be swapped into another asset on the network you are sending from. This is called an origin swap.
If that first swap completes but the destination delivery or destination swap cannot complete, the completed origin swap is not undone. The assets available for a return can therefore be the token received after that swap, rather than your original token or the token you wanted on the destination network.
For example, a route could swap AAVE into USDC on Base before attempting to deliver AAVE on Ethereum. If the Ethereum step cannot complete, a completed return may be in USDC on Base. This is an illustrative example, not a description of every route.
Why is the value different from what I expected?
There are several amounts to distinguish:
Spot-price estimate: an estimated market value for your original token. It is not a price you are guaranteed to receive for the route.
Quoted expected amount: the amount a swap or route was expected to produce when quoted.
Quoted minimum amount: the lowest output allowed for the relevant swap or route under its slippage settings.
Actual post-swap amount: the token and amount produced when the origin swap completed.
Actual returned amount: the token and amount transferred to the recorded return address in the completed return transaction.
The actual origin-swap result can differ from a spot estimate or the quoted expected amount because of the execution price, price impact, fees, and slippage within the swap’s limits. If the origin swap completes, its actual output is the starting amount available for return. Return execution costs, including network gas where applicable, can reduce the final amount transferred.
Compare the actual origin-swap output with the actual returned amount to identify the difference that needs to be explained. Compare the origin swap’s expected and minimum amounts with its actual output to assess that swap. Do not compare an intended destination-token amount directly with an origin-swap output in a different token. A difference alone does not prove what costs were charged. Support can review the transaction evidence to explain confirmed costs or differences. A completed return does not necessarily restore your original token holding or its estimated dollar value.
How can I check what was returned?
Open your Relay transaction using your wallet address or transaction hash.
Check whether a completed return is recorded. A failed destination step by itself does not confirm that a return has completed.
If a return transaction is linked, open that link in the block explorer and check its status and network. For a token return, check the token-transfer details, including the token contract, amount, and receiving address. The transaction’s top-level sender and recipient may be contracts rather than the final return recipient. Do not assume the return uses the intended destination network.
Compare the actual return recipient and network with the address and network you are viewing in your wallet. Do not assume the return recipient is the original sender or intended destination recipient. Use the actual returned token, which may differ from the token you originally sent. Some return routes have more than one transfer; contact Support if the linked transaction does not establish the final recipient or completed return.
When should I contact Support?
Contact Support if no completed return is shown, you cannot identify the returned asset, you cannot see the recorded return at the verified receiving address, or the token or amount still does not match what you expected. A completed on-chain return alone does not explain what happened to a wallet balance afterward.
Send your Relay transaction link, the original transaction hash, the return transaction hash if available, and the address where you expected to receive the return. Tell us whether your concern is a different token, a different amount or a missing balance. If you are comparing against a quote, include that quote so it can be checked separately from a spot-price estimate.
For help locating the transaction, see How do I find my transaction?