Bottom line upfront: For Binance USDⓈ-M Perpetual Futures, the standard rates are 0.02% for maker and 0.05% for taker, meaning maker orders are more than half the price of taker orders. By enabling BNB fee deductions, you get a 10% discount, and combined with a referral kickback, you can lower it to 0.012% maker / 0.03% taker. Account preparation: Go to the official Binance website to register and install the official Binance App; Apple users can refer to the iOS installation guide.
Core Differences Between Maker and Taker
Crypto exchanges categorize all orders into two types:
- Maker: Your limit order is not executed immediately. It enters the order book and waits for a counterparty to take it. You provide liquidity to the market.
- Taker: Your order executes immediately. Market orders are always taker, and limit orders that cross the spread to fill immediately also count as taker.
The futures market encourages makers because it makes the order book thicker and improves liquidity, which is why maker fees are significantly lower than taker fees.
Binance Futures Fee Schedule
Below is the standard fee table for USDⓈ-M Perpetual Futures:
| Tier | 30-Day Volume (BTC) | BNB Balance (≥) | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | < 250 | 0 | 0.0200% | 0.0500% |
| VIP 1 | ≥ 250 | ≥ 50 | 0.0160% | 0.0400% |
| VIP 2 | ≥ 2500 | ≥ 200 | 0.0140% | 0.0350% |
| VIP 3 | ≥ 7500 | ≥ 500 | 0.0120% | 0.0320% |
| VIP 4 | ≥ 22500 | ≥ 1000 | 0.0100% | 0.0300% |
| VIP 5 | ≥ 50000 | ≥ 2000 | 0.0080% | 0.0270% |
| VIP 6 | ≥ 100000 | ≥ 3500 | 0.0060% | 0.0250% |
Beginners usually stay at the Regular tier, where 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker are the baseline.
The Actual Cost of a Futures Trade
Example: Opening a BTC long position with 100 USDT margin and 10x leverage, making the position size 1000 USDT.
| Action | Fee Rate | Fee (USDT) |
|---|---|---|
| Open (Taker) | 0.05% | 0.5 |
| Close (Taker) | 0.05% | 0.5 |
| Round Trip Total | 0.1% | 1 |
| Action | Fee Rate | Fee (USDT) |
|---|---|---|
| Open (Maker) | 0.02% | 0.2 |
| Close (Maker) | 0.02% | 0.2 |
| Round Trip Total | 0.04% | 0.4 |
For the exact same position, a pure maker trade is 60% cheaper than a pure taker trade. For high-frequency traders, this makes a huge difference every day.
BNB Fee Deduction
In Futures, the BNB fee discount is 10% (not 25% like in Spot). How to enable it:
- In the App, go to "Futures" → Top-right "..." → "Preferences".
- Find "BNB Fee Deduction".
- Turn on the switch.
- You need to have BNB in your futures wallet.
After enabling:
| Status | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| With BNB Deduction | 0.018% | 0.045% |
| BNB + Referral Kickback | 0.014% | 0.036% |
Note: The BNB deduction for futures is lower than the 25% for spot, but it is still worth enabling.
Referral Kickback
Users who register through a referral link enjoy a percentage of their fees back according to the inviter's configuration:
- User 80% / Referrer 20% (User gets 20% back).
- Actual effect: Futures Taker 0.05% × 80% = 0.04%.
Links on this site automatically include a referral code, securely binding you to the commission kickback after registration.
Funding Rate
Futures have an extra cost that spot trading doesn't: the Funding Rate. It is settled every 8 hours (0:00, 8:00, 16:00 UTC+8), and longs and shorts pay each other.
Mechanism:
- Adjusted when long and short forces are imbalanced.
- More longs → Longs pay shorts (Positive Funding Rate).
- More shorts → Shorts pay longs (Negative Funding Rate).
- Historically, the range is usually between -0.05% and +0.05% per 8 hours.
Cost Example: BTC Perpetual, Funding Rate +0.03%/8h, you hold a long position for 1 day (3 settlements):
Funding Fee = Position Size × 0.03% × 3
= 1000 × 0.03% × 3
= 0.9 USDT
The Funding Rate is a hidden cost for long-term holding, and beginners easily overlook it.
Practical Impact of the Funding Rate
Below is a comparison of costs when holding a position for 1 day under a typical funding rate:
| Position Size | Funding Rate (+0.05%/8h) | 1-Day Cost | 1-Week Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 USDT | 0.15% | 1.5 | 10.5 |
| 5000 USDT | 0.15% | 7.5 | 52.5 |
| 10000 USDT | 0.15% | 15 | 105 |
During peak bull markets, the funding rate frequently spikes to +0.1% or even +0.3% every 8 hours. Holding a long position for a week could eat up 5-20% of your principal purely in funding fees.
How to Become a Maker
To be a maker, you must place a limit order that does not fill immediately. Tips:
| Action | Is it a Maker? |
|---|---|
| Market Order | No (Taker) |
| Limit Order price better than spread | Yes (Waiting in book) |
| Limit Order crossing spread | No (Partially/Fully Taker) |
| Using Post-Only option | Guaranteed Maker (Cancels if it would fill immediately) |
The simplest trick for beginners: Enable the Post-Only option. This ensures your limit order is always a maker.
Configuring Post-Only
Steps:
- Order page → Select "Limit".
- Find the "Time in Force" option → Select "Post-Only" (sometimes called "GTX").
- Enter price and quantity → Place order.
- If it would execute instantly, the order is automatically canceled instead of taking liquidity.
- Best for strategies where you are not rushing to enter the market.
Trade-off: You might miss out on sudden price movements, but you guarantee the lowest fee.
Hands-On: Checking Your Futures Fees
Steps:
- App "Account" → "Fees" → "Futures Fee Rates".
- Your current VIP tier is shown at the top.
- Below is the actual maker/taker rate (including BNB deduction and kickback).
- Tap "Details" to see the real fee charged on every single order.
Little-Known Details About Fees
Detail 1: Opening and closing are independently calculated as maker/taker. You could be a taker when opening and a maker when closing.
Detail 2: No trading fee is charged during a liquidation (since you've already lost your margin).
Detail 3: Auto-Deleveraging (ADL) does not charge a fee.
Detail 4: The demo account deducts fees based on real rates (so you get a realistic feel).
Detail 5: The exchange occasionally launches fee rebate events (e.g., vouchers for the first X USDT volume); keep an eye on announcements.
Spot vs Futures Fee Comparison
| Dimension | Spot | USDⓈ-M Futures |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Rate | 0.1% / 0.1% | 0.02% / 0.05% |
| BNB Deduction | 25% off | 10% off |
| Referral Kickback | 20% | 20% |
| Funding Fee | None | Charged every 8h |
| Two-way fee (open/close) | Yes | Yes |
While the nominal rate of futures is lower than spot, because of leverage, the absolute cost might not be. Add funding fees to the mix, and total holding costs for futures are often much higher.
FAQ
Q: Since futures maker fees are much cheaper than spot maker fees, should I replace spot with futures? A: Purely based on fee rates, yes. However, futures involve leverage, liquidation risks, and funding fees. It is not recommended as a spot replacement. Use spot for simple buying and holding; use futures for hedging or shorting.
Q: Are funding fees deducted from margin or the wallet balance? A: They are deducted from the futures wallet balance, not the position's isolated margin. However, for large or long-term positions, accumulating funding fees can reduce your overall margin ratio, indirectly increasing liquidation risk.
Q: How do I avoid funding fee costs? A: Avoid holding positions during periods of extreme high funding fees (bull market peaks), shorten your holding times, or miss the settlement timestamp (holding without crossing an 8-hour mark is cheaper).
Q: Is the BNB deduction automatic in futures? A: Yes. Once enabled, the system automatically uses BNB to pay for fees. If you run out of BNB, it reverts to USDT.
Q: Are USDⓈ-M and COIN-M fees the same? A: Very similar. COIN-M futures maker 0.02% / taker 0.05% are comparable, but charged in the corresponding crypto (BTC for BTC-margined contracts).
Q: When will my referral kickbacks arrive? A: They settle on T+1, meaning the next day. You can view them in "Commission History" and transfer them to your spot wallet.
Q: If I use BNB to pay fees, is it based on the BNB price at the time of the order? A: Yes. The BNB amount is deducted based on the real-time equivalent of the USDT fee.
Q: Do fee rates change depending on position size? A: Not for single orders. Your rate only drops automatically when your 30-day cumulative trading volume crosses the VIP 1 threshold.
Key takeaway on futures fees for beginners: Maker is more than 50% cheaper than taker + Funding rate is the biggest cost for long-term holding. Pay attention to these two rules, and you can keep your overall costs very reasonable.