Execution price
The actual bid or ask at which your order fills. This is the starting point for cost.
PredictFact Learning Hub · Fees & Costs
Prediction Market Fees: What You Really Pay
A platform’s advertised fee is only one part of the economics. Your real cost can also come from the executable bid or ask, the bid–ask spread, slippage, funding or conversion, and network or withdrawal charges.
Independent educational guide
Primary-source fee documentation
Verified 6 September 2026
Primary-source fee documentation
Verified 6 September 2026
30-second answer
Do not compare prediction markets by fee percentage alone
The number that matters is the total cash impact of getting into and out of the position. A low-fee market with a wide spread or shallow order book can be more expensive to trade than a market with a visible fee but tighter execution.
Practical rule: first check the price you can actually execute, then the explicit fee, then the funding and exit route. Spread and slippage usually appear inside your execution price, so do not add them twice.
The true-cost model
Five layers can change what a trade really costs
PredictFact separates these layers because only one of them may be labeled “fee” on the screen.
Explicit trading fee
Maker, taker, vendor or exchange fees, depending on the platform and market.
Spread & slippage
The price friction created by the order book and by consuming multiple price levels.
Funding & conversion
Bank, card, FX, stablecoin, bridge or routing costs before the trade even begins.
Network & withdrawal
Blockchain gas or withdrawal charges where they apply; some integrated routes sponsor gas.
Spread example
A “zero-fee” trade can still cost money
Imagine a market with a 60¢ best bid and a 64¢ best ask. The midpoint may look like 62¢, but an immediate buyer pays the ask and an immediate seller receives the bid.
Best bid60¢
Midpoint62¢
Best ask64¢
Spread friction = 4¢ per share. If you buy immediately at 64¢ and could only sell immediately at 60¢, the spread alone creates a 4¢ round-trip gap before any explicit platform fee.
Illustrative prices only. A live order book can change before or during execution.
Quick spread-friction estimator
Use this for a simple immediate buy-then-sell illustration. It does not predict future prices or model slippage across multiple levels.
Spread / share4.0¢
Spread friction$4.00
Total entered costs$4.00
“Other explicit costs” is a single dollar input for fees, funding or network charges you want to include in this illustration.
Order type matters
Maker and taker are cost roles, not trader identities
The same person can be a maker on one order and a taker on the next. The distinction is usually about whether your order adds liquidity or immediately consumes it.
Your order rests on the book
You post a price that does not immediately match. Some platforms charge zero maker fees, some offer rebates, and some markets may still have maker fees. The trade-off is fill risk: your order might never execute.
Your order executes against existing liquidity
You accept available liquidity and usually get faster execution. On platforms that charge taker fees, this is the role that commonly pays them. A market order can also create slippage if it consumes multiple levels.
Current documented examples
How major prediction-market fee models differ
These are current documentation snapshots, not permanent promises. Fee treatment can vary by category, market, route, promotion or account, so the live order preview remains the final check.
Binance Wallet Prediction Markets
Verified
- Vendor fees are shown in real time on the order confirmation screen.
- Binance states those vendor fees are not directly collected by Binance.
- Binance Wallet currently sponsors gas for integrated trading and settlement transactions.
- Still check spread, liquidity and any cost outside that sponsored route.
Predict.fun
Verified
- Predict documents zero standard trading fee for makers.
- Takers can pay a variable fee whose shape depends on contract price.
- Predict Smart Wallet sponsors trading gas.
- Predict says it charges no platform deposit/withdrawal fee, while third-party or blockchain costs can still apply.
Polymarket
Verified
- Polymarket documents taker fees on certain market categories.
- Makers are not charged under the current fee schedule and can be eligible for maker rebates.
- Geopolitical and world-events markets are documented as fee-free in the July 2026 guide.
- Polymarket says it charges no fee to deposit or withdraw USDC, though intermediaries may charge.
Kalshi
Verified
- Kalshi describes its transaction fee as based on the expected earnings of the contract.
- Fee treatment can differ for special markets.
- Some markets can have maker fees when resting orders eventually execute.
- Check the fee information shown with the order and the current official fee schedule.
Why PredictFact avoids a single “cheapest platform” winner: the fee schedule is only part of the trade. Executable prices, liquidity, funding methods, market availability and the specific category can change the real result for the user.
Order checklist
Seven checks before you click confirm
Use the same sequence every time so an attractive headline probability does not distract you from the mechanics.
Check the executable side
If buying now, look at the best ask. If selling now, look at the best bid.
Measure the spread
A large bid–ask gap is immediate friction even when the explicit fee is zero.
Inspect depth
Your order size may consume multiple levels and make the average fill worse than the top quote.
Identify maker or taker
Fee treatment and fill behavior can differ depending on how the order reaches the book.
Read the final fee preview
Use the live ticket as the current source for the order you are actually about to submit.
Count funding costs
Include any card, bank, conversion, stablecoin, FX, bridge or routing charges.
Plan the exit
Check withdrawal, network and conversion costs as well as the spread you may face when closing.
Cost red flags
Four signs a “cheap” market may be expensive to trade
Wide spread
The best bid and ask are far apart, creating a large immediate round-trip gap.
Shallow depth
Only a small amount is available near the visible quote, so larger orders may slip.
Unclear fee preview
You cannot confidently identify the fee or who collects it before submitting the order.
Costly funding route
Conversion, bridge, card or network charges erase the apparent saving in the trading fee.
FAQ
Prediction market fees: common questions
Are prediction markets fee-free?
Some trades or market categories can have zero explicit platform fee, but that does not make the trade cost-free. Spread, slippage, funding, conversion, network or withdrawal costs may still apply.
What is the difference between a fee and a spread?
A fee is a stated charge. The spread is the difference between the best bid and ask. The spread usually affects the price at which you can enter or exit rather than appearing as a separate invoice.
What is slippage?
Slippage is the difference between the price you expected and the average price you actually receive, often because your order consumes more than one level of available liquidity.
Is a limit order always cheaper than a market order?
No. A limit order can avoid crossing the spread or can qualify for maker treatment, but it may not fill at all. A market order prioritizes execution and can face taker fees or slippage. The better choice depends on your objective and the live order book.
Why can a small edge disappear after costs?
If your own probability estimate is only slightly different from the market price, a wider ask, explicit fee and slippage can consume that difference. The executable economics matter more than the headline percentage.
Does Binance Wallet charge gas for prediction-market trades?
Binance currently states that Wallet sponsors gas fees for integrated prediction-market trading and settlement. Vendor fees can still apply and are shown in the order confirmation screen.
Does Polymarket charge the same fee on every market?
No. Polymarket’s current documentation applies taker fees to certain categories and documents geopolitical/world-events markets as fee-free. Always check the current market category and fee guide.
Which prediction market has the lowest fees?
There is no permanent universal answer because the total cost depends on market category, order type, spread, depth, funding route and current fee schedule. Compare the specific market and the actual order preview you plan to use.
Why this page is trustworthy
How PredictFact verifies fee information
I’m PredictBoy, the author voice behind PredictFact. For fees, I start with first-party platform documentation and the live mechanics a user can verify in the order flow. I separate explicit platform charges from spread, slippage and funding friction because combining them into one vague “fee” can mislead readers.
Fast-changing numbers are treated as dated documentation snapshots rather than permanent facts. When the live order ticket conflicts with an older article, the current platform screen and current official fee documentation should take priority.
Documentation checked: 6 September 2026
For more on sourcing and corrections, read PredictFact’s research methodology. For the relationship between displayed prices and executable odds, see Prediction Market Odds Explained.
Risk notice: PredictFact is an independent educational website and is not Binance, Predict.fun, Polymarket or Kalshi. This page is not financial, investment, legal, tax or trading advice. Prediction-market products can involve partial or total loss, and availability, fees, market rules, third-party services and regulation can change. Review the current platform terms and your local requirements before acting.