Polymarket fees, explained
Polymarket charges only takers, at match time, using fee = shares × rate × p × (1 − p). The rate depends on the category: 0.07 for crypto, 0.05 or 0.04 for most others, and 0 for geopolitics. Makers pay nothing and share in a rebate pool. For a bot, fees are often the difference between a strategy that works on paper and one that loses money.
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Fee rates by category
- Crypto: taker rate 0.07, peak $1.75 per 100 shares at 50¢; maker rebate 20%.
- Sports: taker rate 0.05, peak $1.25 per 100 shares at 50¢; maker rebate 15%.
- Economics, Culture, Weather, Other: taker rate 0.05, peak $1.25 per 100 shares at 50¢; maker rebate 25%.
- Finance, Politics, Mentions, Tech: taker rate 0.04, peak $1.00 per 100 shares at 50¢; maker rebate 25%.
- Geopolitics and world events: taker rate 0, peak $0.00 per 100 shares at 50¢; maker rebate none (fee-free).
There are no Polymarket fees to deposit or withdraw USDC (exchanges and on-ramps may charge their own). Fees are rounded to 5 decimal places, so very small trades near 0¢ or 100¢ can round to zero. Rates are set by Polymarket and change over time; each market's own fee settings are in its market details.
What a crypto trade costs at each price
Buying 100 shares as a taker on a crypto market (rate 0.07):
- 5¢: cost $5.00, fee $0.33, or 6.7% of the cost.
- 10¢: cost $10.00, fee $0.63, or 6.3% of the cost.
- 25¢: cost $25.00, fee $1.31, or 5.3% of the cost.
- 50¢: cost $50.00, fee $1.75, or 3.5% of the cost.
- 75¢: cost $75.00, fee $1.31, or 1.8% of the cost.
- 90¢: cost $90.00, fee $0.63, or 0.7% of the cost.
- 95¢: cost $95.00, fee $0.33, or 0.4% of the cost.
The dollar fee is symmetric around 50¢, but as a share of what you spend it is rate × (1 − p), so cheap outcomes pay the most. A strategy that buys 10¢ longshots needs more than a 6% edge before fees are covered.
Maker and taker rebates
- Maker rebates: a share of each category's taker fees (20% in crypto, 15% in sports, 25% in most others) is paid daily in pUSD to makers whose resting orders were filled, weighted by the same fee curve.
- Taker rebates: since May 28, 2026, takers earn a rebate by tier, based on 30-day weighted volume: 3% at Bronze ($2,000) up to 50% at Obsidian ($10 million). Crypto trades carry the highest weight (2.3), sports the lowest (1.0).
What fees do to a backtest
- Model the curve, not a flat rate. No single percentage is right: on crypto the fee is 6.3% of cost at 10¢ and 0.7% at 90¢. Apply
rate × p × (1 − p)to each fill. - Count both legs. Closing early with a market order pays a second fee. Holding to resolution pays one, since redemption is not a trade.
- Use the fill price, not the mid. Fees are charged on the price you actually trade at. On one BTC 15-minute window, a $500 market buy filled 5% to 9% above the mid before a 3.4% to 4% fee. See the bot guide for the code.
- Pre-2026 results do not transfer. Crypto taker fees began on 15-minute markets in January 2026 and cover all crypto markets since March 2026. A backtest on earlier fee-free data needs today's fees applied.
Resolved Markets records full-depth Polymarket order books, so a backtest can fill against the real book and apply fees at the true fill price. The backtester (Pro and above) does this with a configurable taker fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Polymarket fees?
Only takers pay. The fee is shares × rate × price × (1 − price). The rate is 0.07 for crypto, 0.05 for sports, economics, culture and weather, 0.04 for finance, politics, mentions and tech, and 0 for geopolitics. At 50¢ that is $1.75 per 100 crypto shares. Makers pay nothing, and there is no Polymarket fee to deposit or withdraw USDC.
Do Polymarket makers pay fees?
No. Resting limit orders that add liquidity are never charged. A share of taker fees in each category (20% in crypto, 15% in sports, 25% in most others) is paid back to makers daily through the Maker Rebates program, weighted by how much of their liquidity was taken.
Why is the Polymarket fee higher on cheap outcomes?
The dollar fee peaks at 50¢, but as a share of what you spend it is rate × (1 − price). A crypto trade at 10¢ pays 6.3% of its cost in fees, while one at 90¢ pays 0.7%. Cheap longshots are the most expensive to buy as a taker.
Is there a fee when a Polymarket market resolves?
Fees are charged on trades when orders match. Redeeming winning shares after resolution is not a trade, so a position held to resolution pays one taker fee on entry, while one closed early with a market order pays two.
Does Polymarket have a taker rebate?
Yes. Since May 28, 2026 the Taker Rebate Program ranks takers into seven tiers by 30-day weighted volume, from Bronze (3% rebate, from $2,000 weighted volume) to Obsidian (50%, from $10 million). Crypto trades carry the highest category weight (2.3).