How can I get my transactions confirmed faster?

[towelswan]

So I understand that the transaction fees help get them processed quicker, but how exactly does it work?

Does the size of the transaction slow it down?  For example, which will get processed more quickly:

0.1 BTC + .001 fee

25 BTC + .003 fee

[DarkHyudrA]

Fees help on the first cofirmation, after that, it's just a matter of time.
How much you spend helps on getting the first confirmations as well, so 25 + 0.003 fee will get a higher priority.

[towelswan]

I see, I didn't realize that but makes sense from what I've seen.  I sent one small transaction with a really low .0001 fee and it took quite a while to get the first confirmation, but after that went as fast as my normal other ones.

Does the wallet client you're using have any affect on the transaction speed?  I'm using MultiBit right now because the full bitcoin-qt client was taking ages to sync.  However would it possibly speed up my transactions if I let it sync and used qt?

Thanks

[DarkHyudrA]

The client you use to manage your wallet makes no difference in the confirmation process.

3 variables matter for the first confirmation:
* The amount going to be spent/sent
* How much time you're hoarding those coins that are about to be spent
* Amount fee

This is not a full explanation, but this should help you getting started.