Definition
Gas refund is a mechanism in some blockchains, especially EVM-based networks, that returns a portion of the gas fee to the transaction sender under certain conditions. It adjusts the final cost of a transaction after execution, reducing the total gas paid compared to the amount initially set when the transaction was submitted.
In Simple Terms
Gas refund is a way for the network to give back part of the gas fee after a transaction is processed. The user first sets aside enough gas to pay for the transaction, and if specific rules are met, the system returns some of that gas cost, making the transaction cheaper overall.
Context and Usage
Gas refund is commonly mentioned in discussions about gas optimization, smart contract design, and fee behavior on EVM-compatible blockchains. It appears in technical specifications, client implementations, and tooling that analyze or estimate transaction costs. Developers and protocol designers reference gas refunds when describing how gas fees, gas price, and fee burn interact in the overall transaction cost structure.