Polymarket charges trading fees on every transaction, with rates that vary by market category and share price. As of March 30, 2026, Polymarket uses an updated fee structure with category-specific parameters.
Here’s everything you need to know about how much it costs to trade on Polymarket. You can also use our free fee calculator to calculate the exact fee on any trade.
Fee Overview by Category
| Category | Fee Rate | Exponent | Maker Rebate Share | Peak Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports | 0.030 | 1 | 25% | 0.75% |
| Economics | 0.030 | 0.5 | 25% | 1.50% |
| Weather | 0.025 | 0.5 | 25% | 1.25% |
| Politics | 0.040 | 1 | 25% | 1.00% |
| Finance | 0.040 | 1 | 50% | 1.00% |
| Tech | 0.040 | 1 | 25% | 1.00% |
| Culture | 0.050 | 1 | 25% | 1.25% |
| Crypto | 0.072 | 1 | 20% | 1.80% |
| Mentions | 0.250 | 2 | 25% | 1.56% |
| Other / General | 0.200 | 2 | 25% | 1.25% |
Key takeaway: Sports markets are the cheapest to trade (0.75% peak), while crypto markets are the most expensive (1.80% peak). Most categories fall between 1.00% and 1.50%.
How Polymarket Fees Are Calculated
Polymarket uses a formula that makes fees proportional to uncertainty:
fee = C × p × feeRate × (p × (1 - p))^exponentWhere:
- C = number of shares traded
- p = price of the shares (between 0.01 and 0.99)
- feeRate = category-specific rate (see table above)
- exponent = category-specific exponent (affects how steeply fees decrease at extremes)
What This Means in Practice
Fees are highest at $0.50 (maximum uncertainty) and decrease toward the extremes ($0.01 or $0.99). This makes intuitive sense — you pay more to trade uncertain outcomes and less to trade near-certainties.
Example: Buying 100 shares of a sports market
| Share Price | Trade Value | Fee (USDC) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.01 | $1.00 | $0.00 | 0.03% |
| $0.05 | $5.00 | $0.01 | 0.14% |
| $0.10 | $10.00 | $0.03 | 0.27% |
| $0.20 | $20.00 | $0.10 | 0.48% |
| $0.30 | $30.00 | $0.19 | 0.63% |
| $0.40 | $40.00 | $0.29 | 0.72% |
| $0.50 | $50.00 | $0.38 | 0.75% |
| $0.60 | $60.00 | $0.43 | 0.72% |
| $0.70 | $70.00 | $0.44 | 0.63% |
| $0.80 | $80.00 | $0.38 | 0.48% |
| $0.90 | $90.00 | $0.24 | 0.27% |
| $0.95 | $95.00 | $0.14 | 0.14% |
| $0.99 | $99.00 | $0.03 | 0.03% |
Notice how the fee peaks at $0.50 and is symmetrically lower at both extremes. A $0.99 trade costs the same percentage as a $0.01 trade.
Maker vs. Taker Fees
Polymarket distinguishes between makers and takers:
- Takers place market orders that execute immediately against existing orders. They pay the full fee.
- Makers place limit orders that add liquidity to the order book. Makers pay zero fees.
Maker Rebates Program
On top of paying no fees, makers are also rewarded through the Maker Rebates Program. A percentage of collected taker fees is redistributed daily to market makers as USDC incentive payments:
| Category | Taker Fee (peak) | Maker Fee | Rebate Share (% of taker fees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports | 0.75% | $0 | 25% |
| Politics | 1.00% | $0 | 25% |
| Finance | 1.00% | $0 | 50% |
| Crypto | 1.80% | $0 | 20% |
| Culture | 1.25% | $0 | 25% |
Finance markets have the highest rebate share at 50%, meaning half of all taker fees collected in finance markets are paid out to makers.
How to Place Maker Orders
To qualify as a maker, place limit orders instead of market orders. A limit order specifies the exact price you’re willing to pay or sell at. If your order doesn’t fill immediately and sits on the order book, you’re a maker.
How Fees Are Collected
- Buy orders: Fees are collected in shares (you receive slightly fewer shares than if there were no fee)
- Sell orders: Fees are collected in USDC (you receive slightly less USDC)
- Fees are rounded to 4 decimal places — the smallest possible fee is 0.0001 USDC
- Very small trades near extreme prices may incur no fee at all
How Polymarket Fees Compare
| Platform | Typical Fee Range | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Polymarket | 0.03% – 1.80% | Category-based, varies by price |
| Kalshi | Varies by market | Per-contract model |
| PredictIt | 5% on profits + 10% on withdrawals | Fixed percentage |
| Traditional sportsbooks | 5% – 15% margin (vig/juice) | Built into odds |
| Stock brokers | $0 – $0.65/contract | Per-trade or per-contract |
Polymarket’s fees are among the lowest in both the prediction market and betting industries. Even at the highest peak rate (1.80% on crypto), it’s dramatically cheaper than traditional betting platforms.
Tips to Minimize Fees
- Use limit orders — Maker orders pay zero fees and also earn rebate payments from the Maker Rebates Program
- Trade sports and economics markets — These have the lowest base fee rates
- Trade near the extremes — Buying shares priced near $0.01 or $0.99 incurs minimal fees
- Consider finance markets for limit orders — The 50% rebate share means half of taker fees go to makers
- Avoid small trades on crypto markets — The 1.80% peak rate makes small crypto trades proportionally expensive
Deposit and Withdrawal Fees
Deposits: Polymarket does not charge deposit fees. However, you’ll pay blockchain gas fees when transferring crypto, which vary by network:
- Ethereum: Higher gas fees (minimum $10 deposit)
- Polygon, Solana, Base, Arbitrum, and others: Lower gas fees (minimum $3 deposit)
Withdrawals: Polymarket does not charge withdrawal fees. Standard blockchain gas fees apply.
Currency conversion: When you deposit non-USDC tokens (ETH, BTC, SOL, etc.), Polymarket automatically converts them to USDC. The conversion uses market rates with standard DEX spreads.
Start Trading
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- All Learning Articles — Browse every educational article
- What Is Polymarket? — Full platform overview
- How Prediction Markets Work — Understand the mechanics behind prediction trading
- How to Sign Up for Polymarket — Step-by-step account creation
- How to Deposit on Polymarket — Fund your account
- How to Trade on Polymarket — Place your first trade and understand order types
- How to Withdraw from Polymarket — Cash out with minimal fees
- Polymarket vs Kalshi — See how fees compare across platforms
- Polymarket Review 2026 — Our full review after 2 years of trading
- Is Polymarket Available in Your Country? — Check your access status
- Fee Calculator — Calculate fees for any trade instantly