Understanding maker and taker fees

The fill determines the label

Maker and taker describe what happens when an order trades. A maker adds an order to the book that another participant later matches; a taker matches an available order. One order can have an immediate taker fill and a later maker fill. See Coinbase's fee explanation.

A limit order is not automatically a maker

A buy limit sets your maximum purchase price; a sell limit sets your minimum sale price. If the limit permits an immediate match, that portion can be taker. A post-only instruction can reject an order that would take liquidity, but does not guarantee a fill. Check the platform's execution instructions.

A market order seeks available execution without fixing the final price. It can consume several price levels. The difference between the expected and achieved price is slippage; a displayed price is not a promise for the whole order. Kraken explains this tradeoff.

Calculate the fee for each fill

For a percentage-based spot fee, multiply the executed value by the fee rate expressed as a decimal. Minimum fees and rounding may affect small trades. See the fee calculation method.

Illustrative example, not an exchange quote: buying 2 units at $100 gives $200 of executed value. At an invented rate of 0.15%, the fee is $200 × 0.0015 = $0.30. A separate sale creates another calculation. For mixed fills, calculate each applicable rate and add the results.

Before confirming an order

• Identify the pair, product and account fee tier.
• Read the order preview and post-only setting, if available.
• Compare expected execution cost as well as the advertised fee.
• Afterward, check actual fills, classification and fee currency in the trade history.

Use the fee comparison page as a starting point, then verify your account's terms. For the product distinction, read spot and futures basics. These examples explain mechanics, not a recommendation to trade.