Definition
Taker-only fee schedule
A fee model where only liquidity‑removing orders are charged.
Taker-only fee schedule
A taker-only fee schedule is a market fee model in which only liquidity‑removing orders (taker orders) are charged a fee; liquidity‑providing orders (maker orders) pay zero. On Polymarket this means a trader who hits existing bids or lifts existing asks pays the published taker fee, while a trader who posts a resting limit order that later fills as a maker pays no maker fee.
In context
Polymarket runs a CLOB (Central Limit Order Book) and uses a taker‑only structure across most categories: maker fees are zero while taker fees vary by market category and currently range from 0% to 1.8% depending on the category, with the "Geopolitics" category set to fee‑free. The distinction matters for execution strategy: aggressive market or FAK orders that remove liquidity incur taker fees and are charged at the time of trade, while passive limit orders that add liquidity avoid maker fees.
Why it matters for traders
- Execution cost: Taker orders pay the fee on top of spread and slippage, increasing effective cost relative to a maker fill.
- Strategy: Traders seeking lower explicit costs can post limit orders and wait to be filled rather than use market/FAK orders.
- Arbitrage: In intra‑market arbitrage (buying both legs when Σ bestAsk < $1.00), fees reduce the edge — you must include taker fees when calculating potential profit if either leg removes liquidity.
See also
- /glossary/taker-fee
- /glossary/maker-fee