What Are Maker and Taker Fees?
Maker = Liquidity Provider
When you place a limit order that doesn't fill immediately, it sits in the order book waiting for a match. You're "making" the market by adding liquidity. Exchanges reward this with lower fees.
Taker = Liquidity Consumer
When you place a market order (or a limit order that fills instantly), you're taking existing liquidity from the order book. This costs more because you're reducing available liquidity.
Visual Example
```
Order Book:
Sell: $50,100 (100 BTC) ← Maker (added liquidity)
Sell: $50,050 (50 BTC) ← Maker
─────────────────────
Buy: $50,000 (75 BTC) ← Maker
Buy: $49,950 (200 BTC) ← Maker
You place market buy → Takes the $50,050 sell → You're a TAKER
You place limit buy at $49,900 → Sits in book → You're a MAKER
```
Fee Comparison Across Exchanges
Futures (USDT Perpetual)
ExchangeMakerTakerDifference
MEXC**0.000%****0.010%**∞
Spot
ExchangeMakerTakerDifference
Full breakdown: crypto trading fees explained
How Cashback Stacks with Maker/Taker
Scenario: Bybit Futures
Order TypeBase FeeAfter 20% CBvs Standard Taker
Taker (market)0.055%0.044%20% savings
Maker (limit)0.020%**0.016%****71% savings**
The insight: switching from taker to maker saves 63%. Adding cashback on top saves an additional 20%. Combined: 71% reduction.
On $100K Monthly Volume
StrategyMonthly FeeMonthly CBNet CostAnnual Savings vs. Base Taker
**Maker + CB**$20$4**$16****$468**
Why Exchanges Charge Different Fees
Liquidity incentive: Lower maker fees attract limit orders, creating deeper order booksRevenue model: Taker fees generate most exchange revenueCompetition: Exchanges compete to attract market makersVIP tiers: Higher volume traders get even lower maker fees (some exchanges offer negative maker fees — they pay you to make orders)Practical Tips: Becoming a Maker
For Spot Trading
Place limit buy orders 1-3 ticks below current market pricePlace limit sell orders 1-3 ticks above current market priceUse price alerts to place orders at your target price before it arrivesFor Futures Trading
Use limit orders for entries when the market is rangingSet take-profit as limit orders at resistance/support levelsUse OCO (one-cancels-other) orders for automated maker placementWhen Taker Makes Sense
Fast-moving markets where missing the entry costs more than the feeStop-loss orders (safety > fee savings)Very small positions where the fee difference is negligibleComparison: All Fee Reduction Methods
MethodSavingsEffortStackable?
**Maker orders**63%Medium✓
BNB discount25%Low✓ (Binance spot only)
VIP tier20-80%High volume✓
Combined (maker+CB)**71%**Medium—
More methods: 7 ways to lower crypto fees
Key Takeaways
Maker fees are 2.5-3x cheaper than taker fees on most exchangesCashback applies to both — but matters more on taker (larger absolute savings)Maker + cashback = 71% reduction vs standard taker (the best combo)MEXC offers 0% maker — the only exchange where maker is completely freeYou don't always need to be maker — use taker when speed mattersGet 20% Cashback on All Fees →
Related: Bybit USDT cashback | exchange comparison | spot vs futures cashback
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