Set up the paymaster kit foundation

Deploying the ERC-4337 infrastructure requires two primary contracts: the EntryPoint and the Paymaster. The EntryPoint acts as the central hub, validating user operations and managing gas payments, while the Paymaster contract sponsors these transactions on behalf of your salary recipients. This setup allows employees to receive multi-chain salaries without holding native gas tokens.

The process follows a strict sequence. You must deploy the EntryPoint first to establish the validation and execution environment. Only after the EntryPoint is live can you deploy the Paymaster, which relies on the EntryPoint’s interface to function correctly. This dependency ensures that gas sponsorship logic integrates seamlessly with the account abstraction standard.

paymaster kit
1
Deploy the EntryPoint contract

Begin by deploying the official EntryPoint contract on your target testnet or mainnet. This contract is the backbone of ERC-4337, responsible for verifying signatures and executing user operations. Ensure you use the verified source code from the official Ethereum Account Abstraction repository to avoid vulnerabilities. The EntryPoint will handle the gas fees, deducting them from your Paymaster’s prefunded deposit.

2
Configure Paymaster funding

Once the EntryPoint is active, deploy your Paymaster contract. Before it can sponsor any transactions, you must deposit native tokens (such as ETH or MATIC) into the Paymaster contract. This deposit serves as the gas pool for your salary payments. Without this prefunded balance, the Paymaster cannot cover the gas costs for user operations, and transactions will fail.

3
Verify contract integration

Test the integration by sending a small user operation through your Paymaster. Verify that the EntryPoint correctly validates the request and deducts the gas fee from your Paymaster’s deposit. This step confirms that your Paymaster is correctly linked to the EntryPoint and ready to handle multi-chain salary payments. Use a block explorer to track the transaction hash and ensure the gas payment logic executes as intended.

This foundation ensures that your salary distribution system is technically sound and ready for integration with your payroll logic. By following this sequence, you minimize the risk of deployment errors and ensure that gas sponsorship operates reliably across your chosen blockchain networks.

Switch to ERC-20 gas sponsorship

Most payroll systems require employees to hold native ETH to cover transaction fees, creating a friction point for stablecoin-first teams. By configuring an ERC-20 paymaster, you allow the protocol to deduct gas fees from USDC balances instead of ETH. This ensures employees retain their native asset exposure while your company pays for execution in stablecoins.

The mechanism works through the ERC-4337 account abstraction standard. Instead of the smart account paying ETH to the block builder, the EntryPoint contract deducts the gas cost from a prefunded deposit held by your paymaster contract. The paymaster then settles those costs using the ERC-20 token balance you designated for payroll operations.

To implement this, you must deploy a paymaster contract that supports ERC-20 fee payment. MetaMask provides a tutorial for integrating this with Smart Accounts, which handles the approval logic and gas estimation automatically. You will need to prefund the paymaster contract with the ERC-20 token (USDC) to cover the initial gas sponsorship volume.

The Paymaster Kit

This setup shifts the gas burden from the employee to the employer, similar to how a corporate card covers business expenses without requiring the employee to use personal funds. The result is a smoother onboarding experience and a payroll system that aligns with stablecoin adoption.

Integrate smart accounts for employee wallets

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Deploy multi-chain salary automation

A paymaster is a smart contract under the ERC-4337 account abstraction standard that pays gas on behalf of a user operation [1]. This mechanism allows you to extend your salary automation to multiple chains without forcing employees to hold native tokens for gas fees.

To deploy this setup across Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum, follow this sequence:

1
Fund the paymaster deposits

Prefund the paymaster contract on each target chain. The EntryPoint contract deducts gas from this deposit, so ensure sufficient balance on Ethereum, Polygon, and Arbitrum before launching payroll.

2
Configure chain-specific relayers

Set up the relayer configuration for each network. Define the allowed chain IDs and gas limits so the paymaster knows which transactions to sponsor on which chain.

3
Verify cross-chain routing

Test the payment flow with a small salary batch. Confirm that the smart account receives the token transfer and the gas is deducted from the correct chain’s paymaster deposit.

Verify compliance and audit trails

Payroll automation demands immutable proof of payment. Unlike traditional bank transfers, on-chain transactions are public by default. Without strict logging and access controls, automated salary disbursements can expose your company to regulatory scrutiny or internal fraud. You must ensure every transaction is traceable, tamper-proof, and aligned with financial reporting standards.

1. Enable on-chain event logging

Your paymaster smart contract must emit specific events for every salary payment. These logs serve as the primary audit trail. Configure your contract to record the recipient address, amount, token type, and timestamp for each operation. This data becomes the foundation for your compliance reports.

2. Implement role-based access control (RBAC)

Not everyone should approve payroll runs. Implement RBAC within your paymaster kit to restrict who can trigger mass payments or modify gas sponsorship limits. Use multi-signature wallets for high-value approvals. This prevents unauthorized changes and ensures that only authorized finance officers can initiate salary distributions.

3. Store off-chain compliance records

On-chain data is immutable but not always human-readable. Store detailed transaction receipts in a secure, off-chain database. Link these records to your internal HR system. This hybrid approach allows you to generate standard financial reports (like GAAP or IFRS compliant statements) while maintaining the cryptographic proof of the on-chain transaction.

4. Regular audit trail reviews

Schedule monthly reviews of your paymaster logs. Cross-reference on-chain events with your internal payroll ledger. Look for discrepancies in gas fees, failed transactions, or unexpected token swaps. Regular audits help identify smart contract bugs or malicious activity before they escalate into financial losses or regulatory penalties.

Faq: paymaster kit 2026: what to check next

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