Kalshi Fees Explained 2026: Trading Costs, Maker Fees, and Fee Structure

We’ve been browsing Kalshi’s fees, with a focus on the trading fees. We found that the fee structure works on a variable rate, instead of a fixed price, based on the price of your contract.

We pinned down that some fees are low, while others are a bit higher. The sweet spot is for contracts that are priced at $0.01 or $0.99. We’ve dissected the fee structure to give you an honest overview of how it all works. Keep reading to find out more about what fees you can expect to pay.

Learn more about the Kalshi fees and costs

Most of us focus more on the trading fees than anything else. So much so that we can often forget about the payment processing fees, for example. So that you know exactly what you are going to be charged, here’s a quick summary of the main Kalshi fees:

Trading fees

There are two types of trading fees at Kalshi: taker and maker. As we were browsing the Kalshi event contracts and exploring how the fees work, we picked up on the fact that contracts priced between $0.01-$0.05 and $0.95-$0.99 have the lowest trading fees. Contracts priced around $0.40-$0.50 have the highest fees, which isn’t too surprising.

This is the case because if an event contract is priced at $0.50, this indicates a 50/50 probability of the outcome happening. It represents a level of uncertainty on the market, so calculating the potential profit is difficult. Seeing as Kalshi’s trading fees are based on the potential profit of a contract, this will directly change the fee.

Taker fees

These fees are applied to all event contracts that are instantly matched with another order. What we realized is that the Kalshi trading fees are variable and are based on a percentage of the potential profit and implied probability of each contract. Kalshi uses a formula that represents exactly that, which is as follows:

Fees = round up (M x 0.07 x C x P x (1-P))

To help you decode the formula, the ‘P’ represents the price of the contract, ‘C’ refers to the number of contracts, and ‘M’ is the multiplier of the contract. Once you’ve got your head around the formula, it’s pretty easy to use.

Maker fees

The maker fees are applied when your contract is left as a resting order. This is when your contract isn’t immediately matched with another. However, the fee is only charged when your order is executed. If you decide to cancel your contract when it’s a resting order, there will be no maker fees due. The formula for calculating the maker fees is similar to taker fees, but with a small adjustment:

Fees = round up (M x 0.0175 x C x P x (1-P)).

Transaction fees

Just like the trading fees above, the fees attached to your deposits and withdrawals are also variable. What helps clear things up a little further is that the fees are generally the same for deposits and withdrawals for each payment type:

• ACH Transfer – No fees for deposits or withdrawals.

• Wire Transfer – Variable fees, but withdrawals aren’t available for less than $500,000.

• Debit Card – 2% processing fee on both deposits and withdrawals.

• Cryptocurrency – Fees are added by Kalshi’s third-party processor and are shown before the transaction is completed.

Make crypto market predictions with Kalshi

Explore sports event contracts on Kalshi

Pros and cons of Kalshi’s fees

All prediction market sites apply trading fees, but they all have a different approach. Whether the fees are fixed or variable, it’s important to know how to read them. You can also generally expect payment processing fees, depending on the payment method you use. Hopefully this guide has highlighted how Kalshi works, but here’s a recap of the main pros and cons to help you weigh things up:

Pros and Cons

• Clear fee structure
• Low trading fees
• Fees are shared upfront

• Some transaction fees are vague

Conclusion: A clear and upfront fee structure makes planning easier

If you’re thinking about joining Kalshi or have already signed up, learning about the trading fees is crucial. Thankfully, Kalshi has made it easy for new users by sharing an easy-to-read fee structure. The fees are per contract, so while they aren’t fixed, they are easy to predict and plan for. All you need to do is confirm the price of the contract and check out the associated fee.

It’s also important to note the transaction fees, because this can directly eat into your deposited funds and withdrawals. Always browse the list of available payment methods and the processing fees to make sure that you’re using the right method for you.

If you haven’t created an account yet, but you’re pleased with the fees that we’ve shared here, there’s only one thing left to do. You can join today by clicking the promotional banners on this page.

Kalshi fees FAQs