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Encyclopedia Ethereum · Entry 119

Permit signatures: authorizing token spending without an approval transaction

AI-assisted research · separate automated verificationCorrections

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Ethereum
Sources
2 cited records
Reading time
About 3 minutes
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Substantive update
In this article

At a glance

Key facts

Key facts for Permit signatures: authorizing token spending without an approval transaction
FactDetailSource
SubmissionAny caller can submit a valid ERC-2612 permit; the owner’s signature supplies authorization.[1]
NonceAcceptance increments the owner’s permit nonce.[1]
DeadlineThe deadline limits permit submission validity, not automatically the lifetime of the resulting allowance.[1]
01

A gasless signature can create a lasting permission

A valid permit sets the specified allowance. Afterward, the spender can use the token’s transferFrom behavior within that authorization, subject to token rules and balance.

The permit deadline is checked when permit is accepted. ERC-2612 does not turn the resulting allowance into an automatically expiring approval at that same time.

02

Inspect the exact signed scope

Check the token and chain domain, spender, raw amount interpreted with the token’s decimals, nonce and deadline. A large numeric allowance can authorize much more than one intended swap.

Permit designs are not interchangeable. The ERC-2612 document describes differences from DAI-style permits, and other systems can authorize different actions. A wallet label saying “permit” does not identify all semantics.

03

Submission order can affect a workflow

Someone holding the signed message can submit it before the intended relayer. The allowance effect may be the same, but a later workflow that assumes the nonce is unused can fail.

An unsubmitted signature should be treated as an outstanding authorization while its conditions remain satisfiable. Rejecting a website popup afterward does not erase an already issued signature.

Direct answers

Questions people ask

Does a permit deadline revoke an allowance that was already created?

Not under ERC-2612 itself. The deadline controls whether the permit can be accepted; the resulting allowance follows the token’s allowance rules until changed or spent.

Inspect the evidence

The answer and key facts have stable claim links. These records retain the scope and qualification when reused.

An ERC-2612 permit is a signed instruction that can set an ERC-20 allowance when submitted to a supporting token contract. It names an owner, spender, value, nonce and deadline within a signing domain. Signing does not itself transfer tokens, but an accepted permit can authorize later spending; other permit systems may use different rules.

Scope: Ethereum · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:12:41.505Z.

Link to this claim
Submission: Any caller can submit a valid ERC-2612 permit; the owner’s signature supplies authorization.

Scope: Ethereum · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:12:41.505Z.

Link to this claim
Nonce: Acceptance increments the owner’s permit nonce.

Scope: Ethereum · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:12:41.505Z.

Link to this claim
Deadline: The deadline limits permit submission validity, not automatically the lifetime of the resulting allowance.

Scope: Ethereum · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:12:41.505Z.

Link to this claim
Revision history
  1. — First publication after primary-source research and independent automated verification.

Source register

Sources and references

Retrieval dates and locators are recorded individually.
  1. Permit Extension for EIP-20 Signed ApprovalsEthereum Improvement Proposals

    Signed token allowances, deadlines, nonces and domain checks.

    Locator: Specification; Security Considerations · Version / scope: EIP/ERC-2612; retrieved document hash recorded · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:42.295ZOpen source
  2. ERC-20 Token StandardEthereum Improvement Proposals

    Token supply, displayed units and balance accounting.

    Locator: totalSupply; balanceOf; transfer; decimals; approve; allowance; transferFrom; Transfer · Version / scope: ERC-20 · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:45.826ZOpen source
How this article was made

Research and drafting use AI assistance. A separate automated review checks claims against primary sources; no external expert or named human review is implied. Publication, substantive editing, source retrieval and verification are recorded separately. This version was independently checked by an automated reviewer on 2 October 2026.

Editorial method and corrections

Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Permit signatures: authorizing token spending without an approval transaction.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/permit-signatures/