Short answer: A maker order adds liquidity by resting on the order book, while a taker order removes liquidity by executing against an existing order. Binance applies the rate associated with the order’s actual execution role—not simply the button or order type you selected. A limit order can therefore be charged as a taker when it executes immediately.
Last verified: August 16, 2026. Fee rates, VIP requirements, BNB reductions and promotional pairs can change. Your signed-in Binance fee page and final order confirmation are the controlling sources for the rate available to your account.
Maker vs taker at a glance
| Question | Maker | Taker |
|---|---|---|
| What happens? | The order rests on the book and adds liquidity. | The order matches existing liquidity immediately. |
| Common example | A limit order placed away from the current executable price. | A market order or an aggressive limit order that fills immediately. |
| Main priority | Price control and providing liquidity. | Immediate execution. |
| Fee treatment | Uses the applicable maker rate. | Uses the applicable taker rate. |
| Is the result guaranteed by order type? | No. The order must actually rest on the book. | No. The role is determined at execution. |
What is a maker order?
A maker order contributes a new bid or offer to the order book. It does not execute immediately when submitted. Instead, it waits for another participant to trade against it. By adding an available price and quantity, it contributes liquidity and market depth.
A limit order is the usual maker candidate, but the word “limit” does not guarantee maker status. Suppose the best available BTC selling price is 100,000 USDT. A limit buy at 99,500 USDT would normally wait on the book. A limit buy at 100,000 USDT or higher may match an existing sell order immediately and become a taker execution.
Where Binance makes a Post Only option available, it is designed to keep the order from taking liquidity. An order that would execute immediately is rejected rather than accepted as a taker. Availability and behavior can vary by product, interface and order type, so review the live order ticket before relying on it.
What is a taker order?
A taker order trades against liquidity already displayed in the order book. Market orders are the clearest example because they prioritize execution at the best available prices. A limit order is also a taker when its price crosses the book and fills immediately.
Taker does not mean “bad order.” It describes execution behavior. A trader may reasonably accept taker fees when speed or certainty of execution matters more than waiting. The actual cost decision should also include the bid-ask spread and slippage, not the trading fee alone.
How Binance trading fees are calculated
The basic educational formula is:
Estimated trading fee = executed trade value × applicable fee rate
For example, if an order executes for 2,000 USDT and the applicable rate shown for the account is 0.10%, the simple estimate is 2 USDT:
2,000 × 0.001 = 2
This is an illustration, not a promise that 0.10% applies to every account, pair or product. The final commission can depend on the trading product, maker or taker role, VIP level, BNB fee-payment setting, pair-specific promotion, region and other account conditions. Partially filled orders can also produce more than one execution record.
Five factors that can change the final rate
- Product: Spot, Margin and Futures do not share one universal fee table.
- Execution role: The actual maker or taker result determines which side of the schedule applies.
- VIP level: Eligible accounts may receive different tier rates. See the Binance VIP levels guide after it is published.
- BNB fee payment: An eligible BNB fee reduction is separate from the base maker/taker rate. Read the Binance BNB fee discount guide.
- Pair promotions: A selected pair or campaign may temporarily use a special rate. The live fee schedule and order confirmation control.
Why “maker is always cheaper” is not a complete rule
Many fee schedules favor maker activity, but a headline rate does not describe total execution cost. Waiting for a maker fill can expose the order to price movement or no fill at all. A taker order may fill immediately but cross the spread and experience slippage. On a thin order book, those execution effects can be larger than the fee difference.
Compare the complete trade outcome:
- displayed maker or taker fee;
- BNB and VIP eligibility;
- bid-ask spread;
- expected slippage;
- probability and timing of a fill;
- the risk of the market moving while the order waits.
How to check your actual Binance fee
- Open the official Binance trading fee page.
- Confirm that you are viewing the correct product, such as Spot or USDⓈ-M Futures.
- Check the VIP level and maker/taker rate associated with your account.
- Check whether paying eligible fees with BNB is enabled and whether a sufficient BNB balance is available.
- Review any pair-specific promotion and its end time.
- After execution, review the order or trade history for the commission actually charged.
For a broader explanation of Binance costs, use the Binance fees guide. Do not assume that a rate copied from another user, an old screenshot or a search snippet applies to your account today.
Before creating a new account
If you have not created a Binance account, you can open the official registration page with referral code BIMENCE. Confirm the code and any eligible benefit displayed by Binance before submitting registration. Availability, rebate terms and product access can vary by account and region.
Affiliate disclosure: Bimence may receive a commission if an eligible user registers or trades through this link. This does not guarantee a discount, approval, reward or availability. Read our Affiliate Disclosure and Crypto Risk Disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Is every Binance limit order a maker order?
No. A limit order that matches an existing order immediately removes liquidity and is treated as a taker execution. A maker order must rest on the order book before another participant matches it.
Is a market order always a taker?
A market order is designed to execute immediately against available orders and is therefore normally a taker. Always check the product’s live order rules and final trade record.
Does a referral code change maker and taker status?
No. Maker and taker status is determined by how an order interacts with the order book. A referral relationship, where eligible, concerns a separate rebate or commission arrangement and does not change execution role.
Can VIP, BNB and a promotion all affect the same fee?
They can each affect fees, but the way they apply or combine is governed by the current Binance schedule and the specific promotion. Do not add headline percentages together. Check the signed-in fee page and the final commission record.
Official sources
- Binance Academy: How to Calculate Transaction Fees on Binance
- Binance Academy: Market Makers and Market Takers Explained
- Binance Trading Fee Schedule
For conditional Spot exits and the difference between activation and execution, see Binance Stop-Loss Orders: Spot Stop-Limit and OCO Explained.