Maker vs Taker Fees in Crypto Futures
The fee on a futures trade depends on how each part of your order is matched. A limit order can still pay a taker fee, and opening a position is only one part of the bill.
Look at the maker/taker role recorded for each fill. Calculate the opening and closing fees separately, then check which fees qualify for your cashback programme.
What do maker and taker mean?
Adds liquidity
A maker fill comes from an order that rests on the order book before another order matches it.[1]
Takes liquidity
A taker fill matches liquidity already available on the order book. Market orders generally execute this way.[1]
Maker fees are often lower, but the actual rates come from your account's fee schedule. Lower fees alone do not make an execution method better for your trade.[5]
Why a limit order can still be a taker
Suppose the best available sell price is 50,000 USDT. A limit buy at 50,000 USDT can match that sell order immediately, making the matched portion a taker fill. A buy limit below the available sell prices can rest on the book; if another order later matches it, that fill is maker. This is an invented order-book example, not a market quote.[2]
An order can also have both roles: one portion matches immediately and the remainder rests until it is filled later. Check the individual fills rather than assigning one fee rate to the entire order.[2]
On OKX, post-only cancels an order that would match immediately, preserving maker-only placement. It does not guarantee a fill. Check the equivalent instruction on your own platform.[3]
Do not delay a necessary exit or change your risk plan just to pursue a lower fee. Execution price, slippage and whether the order fills also affect the outcome.
Calculate entry and exit fees separately
The example below covers linear futures settled in USDT, with quantity expressed in the underlying asset. It does not describe every inverse contract, option or CFD.[4]
Executed notional = filled quantity × execution price
Trading fee = executed notional × applicable fee fraction
Total trading fees = sum of all opening and closing fill fees
Convert the percentage to a decimal before multiplying: 0.02% = 0.0002 and 0.06% = 0.0006.
Use a hypothetical maker fee of 0.02% and taker fee of 0.06%. Open 0.4 BTC at 50,000 USDT and close the same 0.4 BTC at 52,500 USDT. Assume one complete fill on each leg and unchanged fee rates. Funding, spread, slippage, liquidation and other charges are outside this calculation.
| Execution roles | Opening fee | Closing fee | Total fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maker → maker | 4.00 USDT | 4.20 USDT | 8.20 USDT |
| Maker → taker | 4.00 USDT | 12.60 USDT | 16.60 USDT |
| Taker → taker | 12.00 USDT | 12.60 USDT | 24.60 USDT |
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
For maker entry and taker exit: 20,000 × 0.0002 + 21,000 × 0.0006 = 16.60 USDT. The two legs total 41,000 USDT of executed notional. Do not treat the opening notional as the full round trip.
For a separate partial-fill example using the same hypothetical rates, 6,000 USDT filled as taker plus 14,000 USDT filled as maker costs 3.60 + 2.80 = 6.40 USDT. Add any closing fills separately.
These are fee calculations, not payout proof or a forecast of profit. A lower fee total does not include differences in execution price or risk.
How cashback fits into the calculation
Cashback calculations need an eligible-fee base. Confirm the programme's account, referral, product, region and promotion conditions before including a fee. Do not assume maker fees, funding payments or every account tier qualify.
Estimated cashback = eligible trading fees × applicable rebate fraction
Remaining trading-fee cost = charged trading fees − confirmed cashback received
If all 16.60 USDT in the maker/taker example is eligible, its estimated rebate is 16.60 × r, where r is the programme's applicable rebate fraction. If only some fees qualify, use that smaller eligible amount. An estimate is not a payment received.
Funding is a separate perpetual-futures payment that may be paid or received. Keep it separate from the maker/taker fee ledger; do not assume a trading-fee rebate covers it.[6]
If an eligible fill has no charged trading fee, that fill contributes zero to this fee-based rebate calculation. A separate promotion may have different rules.
A practical check before comparing costs
- Confirm the exact contract, fee currency and maker/taker rates shown for your account, including its tier and any promotion.
- Record each fill's role, executed notional and charged fee for both entry and exit; retain the statement's actual currency and rounding.
- Separate eligible trading fees from funding and other costs. Compare expected rebates with confirmed credits under the programme's payout rules.
Start with your eligible fees
In the RebatePrime calculator, use the fees mode when you have actual eligible fees from a mix of maker and taker fills. Inputs are in USD: convert fees in USDT or another currency to the displayed unit first. The volume mode uses illustrative taker-fee references and does not reconstruct every fill.[7]
For current eligibility and payout details, read the matching BingX guide or MEXC guide.
RebatePrime may receive affiliate compensation. Read our Affiliate Disclosure.
Sources and method
Official documentation checked on 7 October 2026. RebatePrime created the numerical examples above; their assumed rates are not quotes from these sources. Product availability and regional rules may differ.
Educational information, not investment or trading advice. Crypto derivatives involve substantial risk of loss. Cashback reduces eligible fees; it does not remove market risk or guarantee a profit.
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