Polymarket's 2% trading fee + minimal gas costs beat every competitor. Start trading now.
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Complete breakdown of Polymarket's fee structure and hidden costs — plus strategies to minimize expenses.
💡 Bottom Line
Polymarket charges ~2% on winning trades plus $0.10–$0.50 network gas — making it 3–7x cheaper than PredictIt, Kalshi, and traditional sportsbooks. No deposit fees, no withdrawal fees, no hidden charges.
| Fee Type | Amount | When Applied | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Fee | ~2% | On winning positions only | Charged at settlement (not on losing trades) |
| Network Gas Fee | $0.01–$0.50 | Every transaction (buy/sell) | Paid in MATIC tokens on Polygon |
| Spread/Slippage | 0.5–10%+ | Built into market prices | Lower on high-liquidity markets |
| Deposit Fee | $0 | Never charged | Free to add USDC |
| Withdrawal Fee | $0 | Never charged (only gas) | ~$0.20 network cost to withdraw |
| Account Fees | $0 | Never charged | No monthly or inactivity fees |
| Bridge Fee (if needed) | $10–$30 | Only if bridging to Ethereum mainnet | Avoidable (use Polygon-native USDC) |
Polymarket charges approximately 2% of your gross payout when you win a bet. If you lose, you pay zero trading fees (you only lose your initial stake).
Example 1: Winning Trade
Example 2: Losing Trade
Charging fees only on winning trades means:
Formula: Net Profit = (Payout - Initial Cost) - (Payout × 0.02)
Real scenarios:
Gas fees are blockchain transaction costs paid to validators who process your trades. Think of it like a postal stamp — you pay a small fee to send your transaction through the network.
Polymarket runs on Polygon (not Ethereum mainnet), which keeps gas fees extremely low: typically $0.10–$0.50 per transaction vs $5–$50 on Ethereum.
| Action | Gas Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Buying shares (market order) | $0.10–$0.30 | Each purchase |
| Selling shares (market order) | $0.10–$0.30 | Each sale |
| Placing limit order | $0.05–$0.20 | Each order placement |
| Canceling limit order | $0.05–$0.15 | Each cancellation |
| Withdrawing USDC | $0.15–$0.50 | Each withdrawal |
| Depositing USDC | $0.15–$0.50 | Each deposit |
| Connecting wallet | $0 (free) | One-time |
| Browsing markets | $0 (free) | Unlimited |
Network Congestion
More users = higher gas. Prices spike during major events (election results, crypto market crashes).
MATIC Token Price
Gas is paid in MATIC. If MATIC price rises, dollar cost of gas increases proportionally.
Transaction Complexity
Simple market orders cost less than complex multi-market trades or contract interactions.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep MATIC in Your Wallet
Always maintain 0.5–1 MATIC (~$0.50–$1) in your wallet to cover gas fees. Without MATIC, transactions will fail even if you have USDC.
Spread is the difference between the best buy price (bid) and best sell price (ask) in a market.
Example: Political Market
If you buy at market price ($0.67) and immediately sell ($0.65), you lose $0.02 per share to spread.
| Market Type | Typical Spread | Example |
|---|---|---|
| High-liquidity politics | 0.5–1% | US Presidential election ($100M+ volume) |
| Major crypto events | 1–2% | Bitcoin ETF approval ($50M+ volume) |
| Mid-tier markets | 2–5% | Sports outcomes ($5–20M volume) |
| Niche/new markets | 5–10%+ | Obscure events (<$1M volume) |
Slippage occurs when your large order moves the market price against you. Common on low-liquidity markets.
Example: Large Order Slippage
💡 How to Minimize Spread/Slippage
Here's how Polymarket's total costs stack up against other prediction markets and betting platforms:
| Platform | Trading Fee | Withdrawal Fee | Network Fee | Total Cost to Win $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymarket | ~2% | $0 | ~$0.20 | $2.20 |
| PredictIt | 10% | 5% | $0 | $15 |
| Kalshi | ~7% | $0 | $0 | $7 |
| Traditional Sportsbooks | 4.5–10% (vig) | Varies | $0 | $5–$15 |
✅ Verdict
Polymarket is 3–7x cheaper than competitors. On a $1,000 winning trade, you save $30–$120 compared to PredictIt or traditional bookmakers.
Recommended Path (Cheapest):
Withdraw USDC from Polymarket to wallet (Polygon)
Cost: ~$0.20 gas fee
Send USDC to Coinbase/Binance (Polygon network)
Cost: ~$0.10–$0.30 gas fee
Convert USDC → USD on exchange
Cost: 0.5–1% trading fee (~$5–$10 on $1,000)
Withdraw USD to bank (ACH/SEPA)
Cost: $0 (Coinbase) or $0–$25 (other exchanges)
Total withdrawal cost: $5.50–$35.50 (0.5–3.5% on $1,000)
Timeline: 1–3 business days
Bridge Polygon → Ethereum Mainnet
If your exchange only accepts USDC on Ethereum (not Polygon), you'll need to bridge:
💡 Avoid this by using Polygon-native exchanges (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken all support Polygon USDC).
| Exchange | Polygon USDC Support | Bank Withdrawal Fee | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | ✅ Yes | $0 (ACH) | 1–3 days |
| Binance | ✅ Yes | $1–$15 | 1–3 days |
| Kraken | ✅ Yes | $0–$5 | 1–3 days |
| Some smaller exchanges | ❌ No (Ethereum only) | Varies + $10–$30 bridge | 2–4 days |
1. Trade High-Liquidity Markets
Focus on markets with $10M+ volume to minimize spread (0.5–1% vs 5–10% on niche markets). Save $4–$9 per $100 trade.
2. Use Limit Orders
Set your max buy price instead of market orders. Avoid paying the spread — wait for market to come to you.
3. Batch Your Trades
Instead of 10 small trades ($0.20 gas each = $2 total), make 2 larger trades ($0.40 gas total). Save $1.60.
4. Trade During Low-Congestion Hours
Gas fees lowest during 2am–6am EST. Avoid major event outcomes when everyone rushes to trade simultaneously.
5. Buy USDC Directly on Polygon
Use Coinbase/Binance to buy USDC and withdraw directly to Polygon network. Avoid $10–$30 bridge fees from Ethereum mainnet.
6. Hold Positions to Resolution
Early exits pay spread costs. If confident in prediction, hold until settlement to maximize profit (only pay 2% fee, not spread).
7. Withdraw in Larger Amounts
Fixed costs ($0.20 gas + $5 exchange fee) hurt small withdrawals. Withdraw $500+ at once to keep costs under 1%.
Scenario A: Small Winning Trade ($100)
• Initial investment: $100
• Gross payout (won at 2:1 odds): $200
• Trading fee (2% of $200): -$4
• Gas fee (buy + settlement): -$0.40
Net profit: $95.60 (95.6% ROI after fees)
Scenario B: Medium Winning Trade ($1,000)
• Initial investment: $1,000
• Gross payout (won at 1.8:1 odds): $1,800
• Trading fee (2% of $1,800): -$36
• Gas fee: -$0.50
• Withdrawal to bank: -$10
Net profit: $753.50 (75.4% ROI after all fees)
Scenario C: Large Winning Trade ($10,000)
• Initial investment: $10,000
• Gross payout (won at 1.5:1 odds): $15,000
• Trading fee (2% of $15,000): -$300
• Gas fee: -$1
• Withdrawal to bank: -$20
Net profit: $4,679 (46.8% ROI after all fees)
Fee percentage decreases with larger trades (321/$5,000 = 6.4% total fees)
Polymarket's 2% trading fee + minimal gas costs beat every competitor. Start trading now.
Start Trading on PolymarketNew to crypto? Set up your wallet first →
Disclaimer: Fee information accurate as of October 2025. Fees subject to change by platform. Gas fees fluctuate with network conditions and MATIC price. Not financial advice. Independent analysis not affiliated with Polymarket.