Choosing a deposit method

The three ways to fund a swap — direct transfer, deposit address, and depository — and when to use each.

When you create a swap, you choose how it will be funded. The method you pick (set on POST /api/v2/swaps) determines the deposit action you get back and how you submit it.

The three methods

Method	Set on swap creation	How you fund the swap	Best for
Direct transfer	(default — neither flag)	Submit the returned call_data to the solver’s address with your wallet	Simple EOA wallets sending their own funds
Deposit address	use_deposit_address: true	Send funds to a generated address — from any wallet or exchange (a manual_transfer action, no call_data)	Custodial flows, exchanges, or letting a user pay from anywhere
Depository	use_depository: true	Call Layerswap’s on-chain Depository contract with the prepared call_data	Aggregators; smart-contract, server, and programmable wallets; deterministic, batchable funding

use_depository and use_deposit_address are mutually exclusive — setting both is rejected.

When to use each

• Direct transfer — the simplest path when the end user signs with a normal wallet and is sending their own funds. You get a ready-to-send transaction (to_address + call_data).
• Deposit address — when funds arrive from somewhere you don’t build the transaction for: a centralized exchange, a custodian, or a user “sending from anywhere.” You just display the address and amount; there is no call_data.
• Depository — the most robust path for programmatic integrations: a single contract call (with the swap id baked into call_data) that works cleanly for smart-contract and server wallets, and lets you batch the ERC-20 approval with the deposit. Supported on EVM and Tron. See Depository.

Next

• Execute on your source chain — per-chain guides under Network support, e.g. EVM.
• Fund via the contract — Depository.
• The deposit action object & fields — Overview.