How are Binance fees calculated? Spot / futures rates + how to cut them
A lot of people watch only the price when buying and overlook that every single trade quietly pays a fee. This guide breaks down how Binance fees are calculated: how spot charges, how futures differ, and concrete ways to actually save.
First, to be clear: this article is about Binance's fee rules. Those rules change as the exchange adjusts them, so the rates and discounts here are typical figures at the time of writing; before you actually trade, go by what your account's "fees" page shows. But the logic of the calculation doesn't change — understand the logic and you'll be able to work it out whatever the numbers do.
Fees are charged on trade value
The first misconception to fix: fees are not a flat amount per trade, but a percentage of that trade's value. For the same kind of order, buying $100 and buying $100,000 differ a thousandfold in fees.
And it's charged once on the buy and once on the sell. You pay once when you buy a BTC and again later when you sell it. So what you should really care about isn't "how much per trade" but "how much in total is taken on a round trip". Here's the math with concrete numbers.
Spot rate: what a $10,000 round trip actually costs
The standard spot rate (just buying and selling coins, no leverage) is around 0.1%. Let's work it out the most down-to-earth way:
| Action | Trade value | Rate | Fee on this step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy BTC | $10,000 | 0.1% | $10 |
| Later sell BTC | $10,000 | 0.1% | $10 |
| Round-trip total | — | — | $20 |
So a full round trip of buying and selling costs about $20 on $10,000. Doesn't sound like much, right? But if you're the kind who goes back and forth several times a day — say 5 round trips a day at $10,000 each — that's 5 × $20 = $100 a day, and over a month, thousands just in fees. That's why the more often you trade, the more the fees are worth squeezing. Below are two savers that work on a regular account, plus a straight answer on the often-repeated "be a maker to save" tip.
Why futures rates are different
Futures (the leveraged kind) have a separate fee system from spot, and it's usually lower than spot. The reason is that futures is itself a high-frequency, high-value market, so rates are set lower to make frequent trading worthwhile.
Futures rates also come in two prices: maker is cheaper, taker is more expensive. Spot lists maker and taker prices too, but on a regular Binance account the two spot rates are the same; a gap only opens at VIP tiers or on some promotional pairs. We wrote a dedicated guide to make it clear: what maker and taker orders are; read it and you'll see when being a maker actually pays.
One reminder here: futures can magnify gains, and it can take your capital to zero in minutes, and you may lose all of your capital. While you're a beginner, get comfortable with spot first; don't touch leverage just to chase that slightly lower futures fee — it's not worth it.
Invite-code note: If you decide to open a Binance account, you can use invite code GOD166 on the Binance registration page. Whether a fee discount is available, and its amount, is subject to Binance's current rules and account eligibility.
Saver one: the BNB discount
BNB is Binance's own platform token. Binance offers a long-running perk: turn on "pay fees with BNB" in settings and your spot fees get a further discount (at the time of writing, commonly around 25% off; the exact ratio follows the current rules).
How to use it? Keep a small amount of BNB in your account as the discount balance, and when the system charges a fee it deducts from that BNB first and automatically applies the discount. Using the same example:
| Method | Fee on a $10,000 round trip |
|---|---|
| Without the BNB discount | about $20 |
| With the BNB discount (est. 25% off) | about $15 |
In this example the fee is lower when the discount applies. Check the fee page for the eligible product and current rate before relying on it. Paying fees with BNB requires holding BNB, whose market price can rise or fall, so the arrangement is not cost-free and may not suit every account.
Does being a maker save anything? Check your tier first
Still on spot: if you use a limit order to post a price that hasn't filled yet (providing liquidity to the market), the system counts you as a maker; if you use a market order to instantly take someone's posted order, you're a taker. The fee schedule lists the two separately.
But for someone who just opened an account, a regular (standard-tier) Binance account pays the same spot rate as maker and as taker, and the BNB discount cuts both equally — so switching to limit orders doesn't lower your fee. The two only diverge once your volume reaches a VIP tier, or on some promotional pairs. Check the Fee Rate page in your account to see whether your tier's two columns match before changing how you order; on a regular account, the real benefit of a limit order is control over your fill price, not the fee. For when being a maker really is cheaper, see what maker and taker orders are: a must-know for saving on fees.
Saver two: enter an invite code at sign-up
This one is the easiest to miss, because it's best done right at the sign-up step. In the "invite / referral code" field at sign-up, entering a valid code gives you a claim to a fee discount: whether it applies and at what rate depends on the product, your region, your account's eligibility and the campaign running at the time, and what the sign-up page shows at that moment is what governs.
Missed it? There's still a narrow window: a new Binance account can bind a referrer on the Referral page within 30 days of registration, as long as it has no deposits or trades yet, no existing referral relationship and meets the other conditions. A relationship that's already bound can't be changed or removed, and closing an account to re-register with a different code may get the reward cancelled. So the easiest route is to have the code ready before signing up. The ones we use: Binance / OKX / Bitget / Bybit use GOD166, and Gate.io uses GATEOKKK (listed in this page's invite-code note). For what invite codes actually are and how much they save, we explain it fully in what invite codes are and how the discount works.
A referral discount, BNB payment discount and VIP pricing may interact, but they are not guaranteed to stack on every product or account. Use the effective rate shown on your fee page and trade confirmation.
Binance's spot fee schedule has maker and taker columns. An order is maker when it rests on the book and adds liquidity; it is taker when it executes against an existing order and consumes liquidity. A limit order can still be taker if it matches immediately. Compare the two rates for your tier and pair, then check whether BNB payment or referral terms apply to that account and product.
A few common questions
How much are Binance fees, really?
For the example in this article, a 0.1% spot rate charged on both a $10,000 buy and a $10,000 sell totals about $20. Your actual maker, taker and futures rates depend on the current fee schedule, product, pair, tier and promotions. Any BNB or referral discount also depends on the current rules and account eligibility.
How much does the BNB discount save?
The current fee page shows the applicable discount and eligible products. You must hold BNB to pay the fee, so this is not cost-free: BNB's price can rise or fall, and a discount may not apply to every product, account or promotion.
If I didn't enter an invite code at sign-up, can I add it?
Yes, with conditions: the account must be within 30 days of registration, have no deposits or trades yet, have no existing referral relationship, be a main account, not have had its identity verification used for another account in the past 180 days, and not be flagged for wash trading. If all of that holds, you can bind a referrer on the Referral page; once bound, the relationship can't be changed or removed. The easiest route is still to have the code ready beforehand; the Binance code we use is GOD166.
Independent editorial content from Xiaoyumi Academy, containing exchange referral (affiliate) links: we may earn a commission if you sign up and trade through our links, and any fee discount you receive depends on Binance's current rules for your region and account. This site is not the official website of Binance, OKX, Bitget, Bybit or Gate.io. The rates and discount ratios here are typical figures at the time of writing; go by Binance's current official rules. Crypto prices are highly volatile and you can lose all of your capital, with leverage especially dangerous; this article is for educational reference only, is not investment advice, and you should decide for yourself in line with the laws of your region. If any figures are updated, you'll see it in the corrections log.