You can usually recover a transfer sent on the wrong network if your business controls the destination address; first establish whether it was a normal token transfer or a bridge transaction. A confirmed transaction cannot be reversed, but the assets may still be accessible on the network where they arrived. For a planned move between Ethereum and Polygon PoS, the Ethereum to Polygon bridge is the relevant route; checking the destination before confirming helps prevent a repeat.
First identify where the transaction went
Use the transaction hash to determine whether the assets moved and on which chain. Check the sending wallet’s activity and the source-chain block explorer, then compare the transaction status, recipient address, token contract, amount, and destination network with the transfer request. Ethereum.org explains that an explorer shows a transaction’s status and contract events; a wallet’s “success” label alone may not tell you which network holds the tokens.
A common treasury case is a payout intended for Polygon PoS that was sent directly on Ethereum. If the recipient address belongs to your business, the tokens may be sitting at that same address on Ethereum; switching MetaMask to Ethereum and checking the balance on an Ethereum explorer can confirm it. The address can look identical across EVM networks, but balances and transaction histories are separate on each network.
A bridge transfer follows a different path: it calls a bridge contract on the source chain, which then coordinates delivery on the chosen destination chain. If the transfer was submitted through Polygon Bridge, check the bridge’s transfer status as well as the source transaction. A successful source transaction does not always mean the destination-side transfer is complete.
Take the recovery action that matches the result
Once you know whether the transfer is pending, completed directly, or still processing through a bridge, choose the matching action. Work through these checks in order:
- Pending: Open the source-chain transaction in your wallet or explorer and check its status. If it is still pending, wait or use the wallet’s cancel or speed-up option where available; do not send a replacement payout until the original’s status is clear.
- Direct transfer to a business-controlled EVM address: Select the network shown by the explorer and check the recipient address there. If the token is present but hidden, add the verified token contract for that network in MetaMask; adding a token only changes its display.
- Direct transfer to a customer or vendor: Ask the recipient to check the network where the transaction landed. If they control the destination address, they can access the assets there and, if needed, make a new transfer or bridge them to the intended network.
- Bridge transfer: Check whether the destination step is pending or complete in the bridge status view. If it completed on the wrong network and your business controls the receiving address, access the assets on that network, then make a new transfer to the intended one using a supported route.
For example, if a business accidentally bridged funds to Ethereum instead of Polygon PoS, and the bridge confirms arrival at its Ethereum treasury address, the funds are on Ethereum. To put them on Polygon PoS, the business must initiate a new bridge transfer; changing MetaMask’s selected network does not move tokens between chains.
Record the cost and close the control gap
Recovery usually means paying for another transaction, not paying a special reversal fee. The new transfer may require source-chain gas and a bridge fee, with the amounts depending on network conditions, asset, route, and transfer size; review the quoted total before approving. If an asset is unsupported on the intended route, check its issuer’s supported networks before moving it again.
Keep the source and destination transaction hashes, token contract, amount, and final network in the payout record. Polygon’s documentation describes bridge transfers as transactions recorded on the relevant chains, while MetaMask Help Center advises checking the correct network and verifying balances with an explorer. For regular payouts, have a second person compare the approved destination network and address against the wallet prompt before signing.