For Web3 applications to truly scale, they must first overcome one of the biggest hurdles to adoption: gas fees. Geomi's Gas Station, designed for Aptos developers, delivers a programmable way to sponsor transactions – removing friction for users while giving teams precise control over when, where, and how gas costs are covered. The result is a smoother onboarding experience, stronger engagement, and a faster path to growth.
How Gas Station Works (In a Nutshell)
On Aptos, every transaction consumes gas, paid in APT tokens. While these fees are typically minimal, they're mandatory for transaction execution. Traditionally, users must hold enough APT tokens in their wallet to sign and execute any transaction. This requirement creates a common barrier for newcomers to Web3.
Geomi's Gas Station changes this dynamic by allowing developers to sponsor these gas costs through their own accounts, while configuring smart contract rules that define which transactions are eligible for sponsorship.
Here are examples of the rules you can set:
- Function-level rules → Only allow sponsorship for specific entry functions, such as NFT minting
- Spending limits → Define maximum gas per function or per transaction
- Rate limiting → Control transaction frequency to prevent abuse
- reCAPTCHA verification → Add bot protection for sensitive functions
Each Gas Station requires an API key for authentication with both Gas Station and Node Service rights. Developers can manage these rules through the Geomi dashboard or API, adjusting them at any time without redeploying smart contracts.
Gas Station in Action
Geomi's Gas Station integrates seamlessly with your dApp, handling gas on behalf of your users while giving you fine-grained control. Here's the simplified flow:
- User initiates a transaction: They sign the transaction payload without needing any APT in their wallet
- Gas is attached automatically: Geomi's Gas Station pays the gas via your sponsor account
- Transaction executes on Aptos: Smart contract rules you've configured (functions, limits, reCAPTCHA) determine whether it's eligible
Integration is minimal. Developers set up a fund in their Geomi dashboard, deposit APT into it, install the SDK, generate an API key, and configure their client. From then on, transactions routed through the Gas Station will automatically apply your sponsorship logic.
Once configured, your dApp submits transactions just as before — only now, users don't need APT to get started.
See Gas Station in Action
We've created a comprehensive video walkthrough that demonstrates how to set up and use Geomi's Gas Station. Watch as we walk through the configuration process, show real examples of sponsored transactions, and explain best practices for implementation.
Hypothetical Case Study: NFT Launch Campaign
Imagine a team launching an NFT minting platform on Aptos. They want to attract first-time users who may not own APT yet.
Problem: New users are dropping off at the "buy APT for gas" step.
Solution with Gas Station:
- Configure sponsorship rules to cover the
mint_nftfunction only - Set spending limits so that each mint consumes no more than a defined gas cap
- Add rate limits to prevent spam transactions
- Enable reCAPTCHA for an extra layer of protection
Result:
- Onboarding friction disappears – new users can mint instantly after connecting a wallet
- The campaign drives thousands of mints in the first week, boosting engagement
- Sponsorship costs remain controlled and transparent, since Gas Station enforces all limits automatically
Why It Matters
Geomi's Gas Station goes beyond "free gas" – it's a programmable growth tool. Developers can craft incentive structures that align with business goals, whether that's onboarding, feature adoption, or time-limited promotions. And because it's integrated into Geomi's broader infrastructure stack (APIs, indexing, analytics), developers get both control and visibility in one place.
By focusing on user experience and smart control over costs, it empowers developers to build faster, onboard better, and drive retention – without the traditional headaches of managing fee-payer logic manually.
Important Limitations and Security Considerations
While powerful, Gas Station works within certain boundaries that developers should understand:
- Network-specific configuration → Sponsorship rules are configured per network
- Function-specific subsidies → Only explicitly allowed functions can be sponsored
- Required security measures → Rate limits and spending caps are essential to prevent abuse
- Backend-only requests → Gas Station doesn't support CORS, so requests must be sent from your backend
- Complex transaction support → Some complex transaction types may not be supported
Security Note: Implementing proper rate limits and spending caps is crucial to prevent abuse and control costs. These aren't optional features – they're essential security measures for any production Gas Station deployment.
Technical Requirements
To get started with Gas Station, you'll need:
- An API access key with both Gas Station and Node Service rights
- Backend infrastructure (no frontend-only implementations due to CORS limitations)
- Proper fund management through the Geomi dashboard
- Implementation of appropriate rate limiting and spending controls
Learn More
Ready to add Gas Station to your dApp and remove onboarding friction for your users?
👉 Check out the Geomi developer docs for setup instructions, code examples, and best practices.
👾 Join our community for support and discussions with other developers.
📚 Explore the Geomi platform to see all available infrastructure tools.
Note: Geomi does not accept, hold, or transmit funds on behalf of developers or end users in connection with Gas Station and does not act as a financial institution or money transmitter. Developers are responsible for managing their own sponsorship funds and implementing appropriate security measures.