Check which part of the withdrawal has finished, then continue from that point. A Polygon PoS withdrawal has two main stages: tokens are first burned on Polygon, then claimed on Ethereum after a checkpoint.
Why can a withdrawal stay pending?
Burning tokens starts the withdrawal; it does not send them to Ethereum right away. A checkpoint is a record that confirms a group of Polygon transactions on Ethereum. The bridge needs that record before it can release your tokens.
Checkpoints often arrive about every three hours, though delays can make the wait longer. After the checkpoint, you still need to submit a claim on Ethereum. If you need the full transfer walkthrough, read how to move tokens with Polygon Bridge; this guide focuses on finding and continuing a pending withdrawal.
On the Polygon PoS Bridge, tokens are burned on Polygon and released on Ethereum after the claim. The service at polygonbridge.dev is one way to make that transfer. The burn cannot be undone, but the claim can usually be completed later.
How do you find the step that is waiting?
Follow these steps in order; each one tells you what to check before moving on.
- Find the Polygon transaction hash. A transaction hash is the unique code for a wallet transaction. Open it in a Polygon block explorer, such as Polygonscan, and check whether it succeeded or failed.
- If it failed, check your wallet before retrying. A failed transaction did not complete the burn. If it is still pending in your wallet, check for an earlier queued transaction using the same account. A replacement may speed up or cancel that wallet transaction, but only if you understand the wallet’s prompt.
- If the Polygon transaction succeeded, look for the checkpoint. The successful burn means the withdrawal began. Check the bridge’s transaction status for the checkpoint or claim stage. A delay here can be normal; a successful burn does not mean the tokens have reached Ethereum yet.
- When the checkpoint is recorded, continue the claim. The claim is a separate Ethereum transaction. It needs ETH in the wallet for Ethereum’s transaction fee, and the wallet must be the one controlling the withdrawal.
- Check the Ethereum transaction hash. If your claim was submitted, open its hash in an Ethereum block explorer, such as Etherscan. A pending claim is waiting for Ethereum to process it; a failed claim may need another attempt with enough ETH for the fee.
- Confirm the result on Ethereum. Once the claim succeeds, check the same wallet address on Ethereum. If the token does not appear, verify that the wallet is showing Ethereum and that the correct token is visible.
What if the claim is ready but you cannot finish?
A ready claim does not expire just because you wait. This helps if Ethereum fees are too high or you need time to add ETH for the transaction. Keep the original transaction hash so you can return to the same withdrawal.
For example, if you withdraw USDC to pay an Ethereum bill, first confirm the Polygon burn succeeded. If the checkpoint is still pending, wait; if it is recorded, fund the wallet with ETH and submit the claim. Do not start a second withdrawal just because the first one is waiting.
Use the status to decide: wait for a checkpoint after a successful Polygon burn, and submit the Ethereum claim once it is ready.