A Polygon checkpoint is not the final withdrawal

After a Polygon PoS withdrawal reaches a checkpoint, submit the exit transaction on Ethereum to release the corresponding asset. The checkpoint commits Polygon block data to Ethereum; it does not itself move the withdrawn tokens into your Ethereum wallet. The Polygon burn and Ethereum exit are separate transactions, and the second one requires Ethereum gas.

What does the checkpoint confirm?

A checkpoint confirms that Ethereum has accepted a commitment to a range of Polygon blocks. The bridge uses that commitment to verify a proof that your withdrawal burn appears in one of those blocks. Once the relevant checkpoint is on-chain, the burn can be proven and the exit can be submitted.

This is why a withdrawal can show “checkpoint complete” while the asset has not arrived on Ethereum. The Polygon-side tokens were burned when you initiated the withdrawal. The Ethereum-side bridge contract still needs an exit call with the proof before it releases the mapped asset. For context on how routes differ, this guide to Polygon Bridge types and transfer paths compares the broader mechanics.

How do you finish the withdrawal?

Open Polygon Portal and return to the withdrawal associated with your burn transaction. Check that the source is Polygon PoS, the destination is Ethereum, and the displayed asset and amount match what you expect. When the checkpoint is ready, the portal should offer a control to continue, confirm, or complete the exit. The exact label can vary with the interface.

Connect the wallet that initiated the withdrawal, switch it to Ethereum when prompted, and review the transaction before signing. This transaction submits the exit proof to the bridge contract on Ethereum. The contract verifies that the burn was included in the checkpointed Polygon data, then releases the corresponding Ethereum asset to the withdrawal’s designated recipient.

Keep ETH available in the signing wallet for Ethereum gas. POL pays for transactions on Polygon, but it cannot pay the Ethereum fee for this claim. The fee depends on Ethereum network conditions and the transaction’s gas requirements; the portal or wallet should show an estimate before you sign. If the estimate is too high, you can wait and try again later. The checkpoint does not expire simply because you delay the exit.

• Locate the existing withdrawal using its Polygon burn transaction, rather than starting another withdrawal.
• Confirm the Ethereum network, token, amount and recipient shown in the exit details.
• Check the wallet’s Ethereum balance for gas before signing.
• After signing, use the Ethereum transaction hash to check whether the exit succeeded.

What if the claim button is missing or the transaction fails?

First distinguish a checkpoint delay from a failed Ethereum claim. If the burn has not yet been included in a checkpoint, there is no exit proof to submit; wait for the checkpoint and revisit the pending withdrawal. If the checkpoint is confirmed but no claim action appears, refresh the portal and reconnect the initiating wallet. Check the transaction record against the Polygon burn hash so you are resuming the same withdrawal.

If the wallet shows a pending or dropped Ethereum transaction, inspect its queue before sending another. A low fee or network congestion can leave a transaction pending, while cancelling or replacing it can leave the portal waiting for a claim that never succeeded. If an earlier claim failed, verify its status on Ethereum before retrying. A completed claim should have a successful Ethereum transaction; a wallet prompt alone does not confirm completion.

Do not initiate a second Polygon burn to solve a missing claim. The original burn is already irreversible once submitted, and the exit is a later step in that same bridge flow. A repeated withdrawal would create another burn and another claim to track. If the portal cannot produce the proof or the Ethereum transaction repeatedly reverts, save both transaction hashes and the error details before contacting support.

What is confirmed when the process is complete?

The exit is complete when the Ethereum transaction succeeds and the released asset appears at the recipient address on Ethereum. Check the transaction’s status and token transfer, not only the portal’s progress indicator. If the destination was a different address, the asset will not appear in the initiating wallet.

The confirmed sequence is a Polygon burn, a checkpoint that covers its block, and a successful Ethereum exit that releases the mapped asset. A checkpoint alone confirms eligibility to prove the burn; it does not confirm that the final claim was submitted or that the asset reached the intended address.