Post-Only Orders: Spot & Futures – Minimizing Taker Fees.

Post-Only Orders: Spot & Futures – Minimizing Taker Fees

As a beginner in the world of crypto trading, understanding fees is just as important as understanding trading strategies. One often-overlooked, yet powerful, tool for minimizing these costs is the “post-only” order type. This article will break down post-only orders, explaining how they work in both spot trading and futures trading, and comparing their implementation across popular platforms like Binance and Bybit. We’ll focus on what beginners should prioritize to effectively utilize this feature and reduce their trading expenses.

What are Taker and Maker Fees?

Before diving into post-only orders, it’s crucial to understand the difference between taker fees and maker fees. Crypto exchanges use these fees to incentivize liquidity.

• **Taker Fees:** You pay a taker fee when you *take* liquidity from the order book – meaning your order is immediately matched with an existing order. Essentially, you're 'taking' an order someone else has already placed.
• **Maker Fees:** You pay a maker fee (often lower than taker fees, and sometimes even *receive* a rebate) when you *add* liquidity to the order book – meaning your order isn't immediately matched and sits waiting to be filled. You’re ‘making’ a new order for others to trade against.

The standard fee structure typically favors makers, rewarding them for providing liquidity. Post-only orders are designed to ensure you *always* act as a maker, avoiding those higher taker fees.

How Do Post-Only Orders Work?

A post-only order instructs the exchange to only execute your order if it can be placed as a limit order that doesn’t immediately match with existing orders in the order book. In other words, it guarantees your order will be a maker order.

Here’s how it works in practice:

1. **You Place a Limit Order:** You specify the price you’re willing to buy or sell at. 2. **Exchange Checks Liquidity:** The exchange checks if there are existing orders at your specified price. 3. **If Liquidity Exists (Immediate Match):** A standard order would execute immediately as a taker order. However, a post-only order *cancels* itself. It won't execute if it would take liquidity. 4. **If No Liquidity Exists (Order Added to Order Book):** Your order is added to the order book as a limit order, waiting for a counterparty. You become a maker.

The key takeaway is that if your post-only order would be executed as a taker, it simply won't be filled. It’s better to have no trade than to pay the higher taker fee.

Post-Only Orders in Spot Trading

In spot trading, post-only orders are particularly useful for traders who employ strategies like dollar-cost averaging or are looking to accumulate or distribute positions over time. Because spot trading generally has lower volume than futures, the chances of a post-only order being immediately filled are reduced, making the feature even more effective.

Post-Only Orders in Futures Trading

Futures trading often involves higher frequency trading and larger order sizes. Taker fees can significantly impact profitability. Post-only orders are *essential* for futures traders, especially those using algorithmic trading or high-frequency strategies. They can dramatically reduce trading costs. Understanding advanced charting tools like those discussed here Spotting Opportunities: Essential Charting Tools for Futures Trading Success is also crucial when planning limit orders used in conjunction with a post-only strategy. Furthermore, mastering beginner strategies Navigating the Futures Market: Beginner Strategies for Success will help you identify optimal entry and exit points for your post-only orders. Finally, remember to incorporate risk management techniques like Fibonacci retracement levels Fibonacci Retracement Levels: A Risk Management Tool for Crypto Futures Traders into your overall trading plan.

Platform Comparison: Binance vs. Bybit

Let's examine how Binance and Bybit implement post-only orders, focusing on features relevant to beginners.

Binance

• **Order Type:** Binance offers a dedicated “Post Only” order type within its limit order options. This is the simplest and most straightforward implementation.
• **Interface:** The interface is relatively intuitive. When placing a limit order, you simply select “Post Only” from the “Order Type” dropdown menu.
• **Fee Structure:** Binance’s fee structure is tiered based on 30-day trading volume. Maker fees are generally lower than taker fees, and VIP levels offer further reductions.
• **Additional Notes:** Binance also offers “Time in Force” options (Good Till Cancelled, Immediate or Cancel, etc.). Beginners should understand these options to ensure their orders are executed as intended. Be aware that during periods of high volatility, post-only orders may remain unfilled for extended periods.
• **Conditional Orders:** Binance offers advanced conditional order types (like Stop-Limit) that can be combined with post-only functionality for more sophisticated strategies.

Bybit

• **Order Type:** Bybit primarily uses a “Limit” order type with a “Post Only” checkbox. You must actively check this box to ensure your order is post-only.
• **Interface:** Bybit's interface is generally considered clean and efficient. The “Post Only” checkbox is clearly visible when placing a limit order.
• **Fee Structure:** Bybit also has a tiered fee structure. They often run promotions offering maker fee rebates, which can be very beneficial.
• **Additional Notes:** Bybit’s “Order Fill Settings” allow you to control how aggressively your orders are filled. Beginners should leave these settings at their default values. Like Binance, Bybit can experience order delays during periods of high market activity.
• **Advanced Order Types:** Bybit offers a robust suite of advanced order types, including “Track Trader” which can dynamically adjust limit orders based on market conditions – a feature beyond the scope of this beginner’s guide.

Table: Binance vs. Bybit – Post-Only Order Features

Feature	Binance	Bybit
Post-Only Order Type	Dedicated Option	Checkbox on Limit Order	Interface	Intuitive, Dropdown Menu	Clean, Checkbox Visible	Fee Structure	Tiered, Lower Maker Fees	Tiered, Potential Maker Rebates	Order Fill Settings	Time in Force Options	Order Fill Settings (Advanced)	Advanced Orders	Conditional Orders (Stop-Limit)	Track Trader (Advanced)	Ease of Use (Beginner)	Very Good	Good

Tips for Beginners Using Post-Only Orders

• **Start Small:** Begin with small order sizes to get comfortable with the feature before risking significant capital.
• **Understand Limit Orders:** Post-only orders are fundamentally limit orders. Ensure you fully understand how limit orders work before using post-only functionality.
• **Be Patient:** Post-only orders may not be filled immediately. Be prepared to wait for the market to reach your desired price. Don’t chase the price; let it come to you.
• **Consider Liquidity:** In markets with low liquidity, your post-only orders may remain unfilled for a long time. Adjust your price accordingly.
• **Monitor Your Orders:** Regularly check the status of your orders to ensure they are active and haven't been cancelled due to market conditions.
• **Avoid Overly Aggressive Pricing:** Setting your limit price too close to the current market price increases the likelihood of your order being filled as a taker order, defeating the purpose of using post-only.
• **Account for Slippage:** While post-only orders help minimize fees, they don’t eliminate slippage (the difference between the expected price and the actual execution price).

Potential Drawbacks

• **Missed Opportunities:** Because post-only orders won't execute as takers, you might miss out on immediate trading opportunities if the market moves quickly.
• **Unfilled Orders:** Your order might not be filled at all if the market doesn't reach your specified price.
• **Complexity:** While the basic concept is simple, mastering post-only orders requires understanding order book dynamics and market liquidity.

Conclusion

Post-only orders are a valuable tool for minimizing trading fees, particularly in futures markets where fees can eat into profits. Both Binance and Bybit offer robust implementations of this feature, though with slightly different interfaces. For beginners, the key is to understand the underlying principles of limit orders, be patient, and start with small order sizes. By incorporating post-only orders into your trading strategy, you can significantly reduce your trading costs and improve your overall profitability. Remember to continuously learn and adapt your strategies based on market conditions and your own trading experience.

Recommended Futures Trading Platforms

Platform	Futures Features	Register
Binance Futures	Leverage up to 125x, USDⓈ-M contracts	Register now
Bitget Futures	USDT-margined contracts	Open account

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