What does a Polymarket trade really cost?

Four cost layers

Start with a trading fee if one applies, then add bid-ask spread and expected slippage. Add network cost and the cost of entering or leaving digital assets and bank currency.

• Platform fee by market and order type.
• Order-book spread and slippage.
• Network or transfer cost.
• On-ramp, off-ramp, FX, and banking cost.

Maker versus taker

An order adding liquidity may be treated as maker, while one executing immediately against existing liquidity is taker. Category and price affect the result, so check the live fee table before trading.

Use the calculator as a scenario

Enter the amount and rates visible in your interface or provider quote. Compare an optimistic case with a conservative one instead of relying on one headline number.

Current published trading-fee model

Polymarket's current documentation says makers are not charged a trading fee, while taker fees apply only to selected categories and are calculated when an order matches. Published fee-rate coefficients are 0.07 for crypto; 0.05 for sports, economics, culture, weather, and general markets; 0.04 for finance, politics, mentions, and tech; and 0 for geopolitics.

These coefficients are not flat percentages of position value. The published formula is: fee = shares × fee-rate coefficient × price × (1 − price). Check the individual market because categories and parameters can change.

• At 100 shares and a $0.50 price, a 0.07 coefficient produces a $1.75 fee.
• With the same inputs, a 0.05 coefficient produces a $1.25 fee.
• With the same inputs, a 0.04 coefficient produces a $1.00 fee.
• The dollar fee peaks near a $0.50 price and falls near $0 or $1.

Platform fee versus route cost

The fee documentation says Polymarket does not add a Polymarket fee to deposit or withdraw USDC, while intermediaries such as an on-ramp may charge. Network fees, conversion spreads, pUSD compatibility, trading spread, slippage, FX, and banking costs remain separate.

Use the calculator below for scenarios, then replace every default with the share count, price, fee-rate coefficient, and conversion quotes visible at execution time.