# Paymasters and gas sponsorship

Source: https://docs.settlemint.com/docs/architecture/concepts/paymasters-and-gas-sponsorship
How DALP uses system paymasters to sponsor eligible account abstraction transactions without changing identity, custody, or asset policy checks.



A paymaster is the account abstraction component that can sponsor gas for eligible smart-account transactions. In DALP, paymaster sponsorship changes who funds gas. Paymaster sponsorship does not change the participant, asset policy, custody approvals, or final transaction outcome checks.

## Installation and enablement [#installation-and-enablement]

DALP adds the paymaster node to organization deployment only when Account Abstraction is globally enabled and the chain Directory contains a `paymaster-signer` entry. On eligible chains, organization deployment creates the paymaster-signer addon, resolves the chain EntryPoint, stages a signer key for sponsorship tickets, and binds that key to the deployed paymaster proxy.

If a prior deployment attempt already created the paymaster proxy, DALP reconciles the existing proxy before deploying a new one. That replay path keeps onboarding idempotent: the workflow can bind the staged signer key to the existing proxy instead of creating a duplicate paymaster.

Installation is separate from runtime enablement. An installed paymaster can remain disabled for an organization. Operators enable or disable sponsorship from the Account Abstraction Control Center or through the paymaster API configuration endpoint.

## What the paymaster layer controls [#what-the-paymaster-layer-controls]

| Question                                         | DALP behaviour                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Is a paymaster available on this chain?          | The organization deployment tree includes the paymaster step only when Account Abstraction is globally enabled and the chain exposes a `paymaster-signer` Directory entry.                     |
| Is a paymaster installed for the system?         | Operators can review paymaster availability from the Account Abstraction Control Center or the paymaster API.                                                                                  |
| Is sponsorship enabled?                          | Admin, System manager, and Gas manager users can manage paymaster enablement where they have permission.                                                                                       |
| Is the paymaster funded?                         | Gas operations should check and fund the paymaster before relying on sponsored execution.                                                                                                      |
| Which key signs sponsorship tickets?             | Admin, System manager, Auditor, and Gas manager users can inspect signer-key status. Only Admin and System manager users can rotate the signer key. DALP does not expose private key material. |
| Does the smart wallet still need native balance? | If sponsorship is unavailable, disabled, unfunded, or not applicable, the smart account needs enough native token balance for execution.                                                       |

## Limits for EVM transactions [#limits-for-evm-transactions]

Paymaster sponsorship applies only to EVM account abstraction transactions submitted as UserOperations through DALP smart accounts and the chain EntryPoint.

It does not sponsor externally owned account transactions, direct contract calls outside the account abstraction flow, or chains where the paymaster signer addon is not available.

A sponsored UserOperation still needs the full sponsorship path to be ready: Account Abstraction enabled, a Directory `paymaster-signer` entry for the chain, an installed paymaster proxy, enabled sponsorship for the organization, signer-key access, and enough paymaster native balance. If any of those conditions is missing, the smart account needs native token balance to execute the transaction.

DALP indexes only known tenant paymasters. UserOperation events that reference unknown or external paymasters do not make those paymasters part of the organization paymaster set.

## What sponsorship does not replace [#what-sponsorship-does-not-replace]

Gas sponsorship is separate from compliance and custody controls. Asset eligibility, transfer policy, signer authority, custody provider approvals, transaction indexing, and webhook delivery still need their own checks.

## Related pages [#related-pages]

* [Account abstraction model](/docs/architecture/concepts/account-abstraction) for the full execution model
* [UserOperations](/docs/architecture/concepts/user-operations) for the request path paymasters can sponsor
* [System paymasters](/docs/developer-guides/api-integration/system-paymasters) for the API surface
* [Account Abstraction Control Center](/docs/user-guides/platform-setup/account-abstraction-control-center) for operator controls