# Smart Accounts

> Programmable wallets on the blockchain that make crypto simple.

***

## What Is a Smart Account?

A **Smart Account (SA)** is your personal smart contract on the blockchain. Unlike a regular wallet, it can:

* **Skip gas payments** — QR Wallet or stablecoins can cover the fee
* **Execute multiple actions at once** — e.g., approve + transfer in a single transaction
* **Work identically across all networks** — same address on Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, and others

> **Simple analogy:** A regular wallet is a key to your door. A Smart Account is a smart lock that can unlock with your fingerprint, let the delivery person in on schedule, and pay utilities automatically.

***

## How It Works

When you create a wallet in QR Wallet, **two** wallets are actually created:

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  EOA (regular wallet)               │
│  Holds the private key              │
│  Signs operations                   │
│  → Owner of the Smart Account       │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │ controls
┌──────────────▼──────────────────────┐
│  Smart Account (programmable wallet)│
│  Holds your funds                   │
│  Executes transactions              │
│  Can operate gaslessly              │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
```

**EOA** (Externally Owned Account) is the "remote control." It signs operations but doesn't hold funds.

**Smart Account** is the "executor." It receives, holds, and sends funds. All your tokens live here.

***

## One Address — All Networks

Your Smart Account has the **exact same address** across all EVM networks:

| Network  | Address       |
| -------- | ------------- |
| Base     | `0xAbc...123` |
| Arbitrum | `0xAbc...123` |
| Polygon  | `0xAbc...123` |
| Optimism | `0xAbc...123` |
| ...      | `0xAbc...123` |

This is possible thanks to **CREATE2** technology — the address is mathematically derived from the owner's address, independent of any specific network.

> Anyone can send you tokens on any supported network — the address is always the same.

***

## Activating a Smart Account

Before sending transactions via SA, you need to **activate** it on each network where you want to use it. This is a one-time action — activate once, it works forever.

### Three Activation Methods

| Method        | Who Pays            | Where                         |
| ------------- | ------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Sponsored** | QR Wallet (free)    | All L2 networks               |
| **Self-pay**  | User (native token) | Ethereum                      |
| **Gasless**   | User (USDC/USDT)    | When sponsored is unavailable |

### Activation Cost

| Network   | Method                |           Approx. Cost          |
| --------- | --------------------- | :-----------------------------: |
| Base      | Sponsored             |      \~$0.02 (free for you)     |
| Polygon   | Sponsored             |      \~$0.01 (free for you)     |
| Arbitrum  | Sponsored             |      \~$0.03 (free for you)     |
| BNB Chain | Sponsored             |      \~$0.05 (free for you)     |
| Ethereum  | Sponsored (temporary) | \~$3.00 (free until March 2026) |

> On L2 networks, activation costs pennies and QR Wallet covers it. On Ethereum, activation is temporarily sponsored until March 2026 as part of an early adopter promotion.

### Auto-Activation

You don't even need to activate SA manually! When someone **sends funds** to your SA address:

1. The app detects the incoming transfer
2. If the amount is ≥ $5 (≥ $1 on Polygon) — SA activates automatically
3. Everything happens in the background, no action required
4. Works on all L2 networks with sponsored activation support

***

## Activation Limits

The number of networks where you can activate SA depends on your tier:

| Tier     | Activations |
| -------- | :---------: |
| Free     |      0      |
| Day      |  1 network  |
| Month    |  2 networks |
| Year     | 10 networks |
| Lifetime | 25 networks |

More on tiers: [Premium Tiers](https://docs.qr.xyz/premium-and-rewards/premium-tiers)

***

## Technology

Smart Account in QR Wallet is built on the **ERC-4337 (Account Abstraction)** standard — an open Ethereum standard for programmable wallets.

We use audited **Alchemy LightAccount** contracts — a proven and secure solution deployed across all supported networks.

Deep dive: [ERC-4337 Deep Dive](https://docs.qr.xyz/under-the-hood/erc-4337)

***

## FAQ

**Do I need to activate SA on every network?**

Only on those where you want to send transactions. You can receive funds without activation.

**Can I lose funds if SA isn't activated?**

No. Funds on the SA address are safe — activation is only needed for outgoing transactions.

**If SA is already activated, do I need to do anything again?**

No. Activation is a one-time action. Once deployed — it works forever.