Glossary

What are Maker and Taker? Why are the Fees Different?

FoxPress Editorial · 2026-04-22 · 12 min read

Maker = The one who "makes" a limit order (provides liquidity); Taker = The one who "takes" an order (consumes liquidity). Binance offers lower fees to Makers. You can check the current fee schedule on the Binance Official Website or the Binance App. For app installation, refer to the Binance App Download guide. Here is the breakdown.

Role Definitions

Maker (Market Maker)

You place a Limit Order that goes into the order book to wait for fulfillment. You are "making" liquidity for the market.

Example:

Current BTC price is $70,000.
You place a Limit Buy order at $69,900.
Your order waits in the order book.
When a seller comes and hits your price, you are the Maker.

Taker (Market Taker)

You place a Market Order or a Limit Order that triggers an immediate trade. You are "taking" someone else's order from the order book.

Example:

You place a Market Buy order.
You immediately "eat" the cheapest sell order in the order book.
You are the Taker.

Fee Differences

For standard Binance users:

Role	Spot Trading Fee
Maker	0.075% (0.0563% with BNB discount)
Taker	0.1% (0.075% with BNB discount)

Makers pay 25% less than Takers.

Futures fees are similar but generally lower:

Role	Futures Trading Fee
Maker	0.02%
Taker	0.04%

Why are Makers Cheaper?

It's based on economic principles:

An exchange needs a deep order book (liquidity) to function properly.
Makers provide the "goods" (orders).
Takers consume the "goods."
Platforms reward Makers with lower fees to encourage liquidity.

This is a standard practice across almost all cryptocurrency exchanges.

How to Intentionally Be a Maker

Action	Is it a Maker Order?
Limit Buy below the current price	✓ Yes
Limit Sell above the current price	✓ Yes
Limit Buy above the current price	× No (Taker)
Market Buy or Sell	× No (Taker)

Simple rule: Placing a limit order "away" from the current market price makes you a Maker.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: You want to buy BTC (Current price: 70,000)

Place a Limit Buy at 70,010 → Triggers immediately → Taker.
Place a Limit Buy at 69,990 → Waits for price to drop → Maker.
Market Buy → Taker.

Example 2: You want to sell BTC (Current price: 70,000)

Place a Limit Sell at 69,990 → Triggers immediately → Taker.
Place a Limit Sell at 70,010 → Waits for price to rise → Maker.
Market Sell → Taker.

The Cost of Being a Maker

While cheaper, being a Maker has downsides:

You might wait a long time for a fill.
If the price moves away from your order, it may never fill.
You might miss out on fast-moving market trends.

Being a Maker is best for traders who are not in a rush.

VIP Levels

Binance has VIP levels based on 30-day trading volume. The higher your level, the lower your fees:

Regular: Maker 0.075%, Taker 0.1%
VIP 1: Slightly lower
...
VIP 9: Extremely low (for institutional traders)

Beginners usually stay at the standard tier.

BNB Discount

Enabling "Use BNB to pay for fees" gives you an additional 25% discount:

Spot 0.075% (No discount) → 0.0563% (With discount)
Fees are automatically deducted from your BNB balance.

Setting location: Account → Preferences → Toggle on "Use BNB to pay for fees."

Actual Cost Comparison

For a 100 USDT Spot trade:

Mode	Fee Amount
Taker, No BNB	0.1 USDT
Taker, With BNB	0.075 USDT
Maker, No BNB	0.075 USDT
Maker, With BNB	0.0563 USDT

The difference is $0.0437. While small for one trade, it adds up over time for frequent traders.

Wash Trading Warning

Some users try to "game" the system:

Buying and selling to themselves (self-trading) to boost volume for higher VIP levels or rebates.
Binance detects abnormal trading behavior and strictly prohibits wash trading. Beginners should avoid this entirely.

Practical Advice for Beginners

In your first year:

Don't overthink your actions just to save on fees.
Enable the BNB discount (it's the easiest way to save).
Market orders are fine for convenience.
For large trades, consider Limit orders to save that 0.025%.

Constant worrying about Maker/Taker status is usually not worth it unless your trading volume is very high.

Impact on Futures

Because of leverage, fees in Futures are calculated on the notional value (principal × leverage). Even though the rates are lower, they are paid on every open and close:

10x leverage on $1,000 notional value.
Taker fee: $0.40.
Maker fee: $0.20.

For frequent day traders, total fees can become massive.

How to Identify Your Status in the Interface

When placing an order:

If it's a Limit Order away from the current price → Maker.
If it's a Limit Order at/within current price → Taker (Immediate fill).
If it's a Market Order → 100% Taker.

After the trade, your order details will display "Role: Maker / Taker."

Maker-Only (Post Only) Settings

Some platforms support a "Post Only" option:

This forces your order to be a Maker order.
If the order would result in an immediate fill (making it a Taker order), the order is cancelled.
Binance's Limit Order advanced settings include this option.

FAQ

Q: Which role has more impact on the price?
A: Takers consume liquidity directly and have a greater impact on short-term price movements. Makers provide the depth.

Q: Can I choose not to pay any fees?
A: No, but Binance occasionally runs "Zero-Fee" promotions for specific pairs (like BTC/FDUSD).

Q: How much BNB do I need for the discount?
A: You only need enough to cover the fee. We recommend holding at least 0.1 BNB.

Q: Do Maker fees change?
A: Occasionally. Binance reviews and adjusts fees, but the standard rates are stable.