The token formerly known as MATIC has been rebranded to POL, and most major exchanges have already converted balances automatically. If you want POL on the Polygon network (not stuck on Ethereum), you have three main routes: buy through a fiat onramp that sends directly to your Polygon wallet, withdraw from a centralized exchange over the Polygon network, or bridge tokens you already hold. Each method has different costs and complexity.
MATIC Is Now POL
Polygon completed its migration from MATIC to POL, and as of early 2025 the changeover is almost fully adopted across major exchanges and decentralized protocols. MATIC is now considered a legacy token. If you held MATIC on a centralized exchange like Kraken or Bitget, your tokens were likely converted to POL automatically. If you still hold MATIC in a hardware wallet or self-custody wallet, you’ll need to use the official Polygon Portal to migrate your tokens before you can stake or use them in newer protocols.
When searching for “MATIC” on exchanges or onramps, you’ll typically see listings labeled “Polygon” or “POL” now. The ticker and name vary by platform, but you’re buying the same native token for the Polygon network.
Buy Directly to Your Wallet With a Fiat Onramp
The simplest way to get POL on the Polygon network is through a fiat onramp service like MoonPay, which sends tokens straight to your non-custodial wallet. MoonPay lets you buy in over 100 countries and accepts credit and debit cards (Visa and Mastercard), Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, bank transfers, and region-specific options like SEPA in Europe or Pix in Brazil. The minimum purchase is $20.
The process works like this: create a free MoonPay account, select MATIC/POL as your token, enter your Polygon wallet address (from MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger, or any compatible wallet), choose your payment method, and complete checkout. The tokens arrive in your wallet on the Polygon network, ready to use. MoonPay is also embedded directly into several wallet apps, so you may not even need to visit their website separately.
Other onramp providers like Transak and Ramp Network offer similar functionality. Fees for these services typically run 1% to 5% depending on the payment method, with card payments on the higher end and bank transfers on the lower end. Compare fees before committing, since they vary by provider and payment type.
Withdraw From a Centralized Exchange
If you already have an account on a major exchange, buying POL there and withdrawing to the Polygon network is often the cheapest approach. The key step is selecting the right network when you withdraw. Many exchanges support multiple networks for the same token, and choosing the wrong one means your tokens end up on Ethereum (as an ERC-20 token) instead of Polygon.
Binance.US, for example, supports withdrawals over three networks for Polygon tokens: ERC-20 (Ethereum), BEP-20 (BNB Chain), and Polygon mainnet. You want to select Polygon mainnet. The withdrawal screen will ask you for a wallet address and a network choice. Pick the Polygon option, paste your wallet address, and confirm. Withdrawal fees on the Polygon network are typically a fraction of a cent, far cheaper than an Ethereum withdrawal that could cost several dollars in gas.
Not every exchange supports Polygon network withdrawals. Before you buy, check the withdrawal options for your specific platform. If the exchange only offers ERC-20 withdrawals, you’ll receive tokens on Ethereum and need to bridge them, which adds cost and complexity.
Bridge Tokens From Ethereum to Polygon
If you already hold POL or other tokens on Ethereum, you can move them to the Polygon network using a bridge. The official Polygon Portal handles this natively. Connect your wallet, select the tokens you want to bridge, approve the transaction, and wait for confirmation. Bridging from Ethereum to Polygon typically takes around 15 to 30 minutes, and you’ll pay Ethereum gas fees for the transaction, which fluctuate based on network congestion.
Third-party bridges like Hop Protocol and Stargate also move tokens between chains, sometimes faster. These charge a small service fee on top of gas costs. Bridging makes sense if you already have assets on Ethereum, but if you’re starting from scratch, buying directly on Polygon through an onramp or exchange withdrawal is cheaper and faster.
Getting Gas When Your Wallet Is Empty
Every transaction on the Polygon network requires a small amount of POL for gas fees. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem: if you bridge tokens like ETH, DAI, or USDT to Polygon but have zero POL in your wallet, you can’t do anything with them because you can’t pay for gas.
Polygon built a “Swap for Gas” tool to solve this. It lets you convert bridged ETH, DAI, or USDT into POL without needing any gas to initiate the swap. The feature is gasless, meaning the protocol covers the transaction cost for you. You can swap between 1 and 20 POL at a time, which is more than enough to cover hundreds of basic transactions on Polygon, where gas fees are typically fractions of a cent.
To use it, look for “Swap for Gas” in the Polygon Portal’s application menu. Select how much POL you need, choose which bridged asset to swap from, approve the transaction, and hit swap. Within seconds you’ll have POL in your wallet and can start transacting normally.
Choosing the Right Wallet
You need a wallet that supports the Polygon network. MetaMask is the most common choice and works as a browser extension or mobile app. It supports Polygon out of the box, though you may need to add the Polygon network manually in settings if it doesn’t appear by default. Trust Wallet also supports Polygon natively on mobile.
For hardware wallets, Ledger devices work with Polygon through the Ledger Live app or by connecting to MetaMask. Your tokens stay secured by the hardware device while you interact with Polygon apps through the software interface.
Whichever wallet you choose, double-check that you’re on the Polygon network before copying your wallet address for deposits or withdrawals. Sending tokens to the wrong network address can result in lost funds.
What It Costs
Your total cost depends on the method. Fiat onramps charge processing fees of roughly 1% to 5%, with card payments at the top of that range. Exchange withdrawals to the Polygon network charge minimal network fees, often under a penny, though the exchange itself may add a flat withdrawal fee of a few cents to a dollar. Bridging from Ethereum costs whatever Ethereum gas fees happen to be at the time, which can range from under a dollar during quiet periods to $10 or more during congestion.
For most people starting fresh, buying on an exchange and withdrawing over the Polygon network offers the best balance of low fees and simplicity. If you don’t want to deal with an exchange account, a fiat onramp like MoonPay gets tokens into your wallet in minutes at a slightly higher cost.