What is Kalshi's taker fee formula?
Kalshi's taker fee runs on one formula: 7% x C x p x (1-p). C is the number of contracts. p is the price you paid — the contract's implied probability. The formula returns the exact fee before rounding up to the next cent.
At 50 cents, p x (1-p) hits its maximum of 0.25. On a standard 100-contract taker order at 50 cents: 0.07 x 100 x 0.50 x 0.50 = $1.75. That is the peak. Contracts priced away from 50 cents in either direction cost less. At 80 cents, p x (1-p) = 0.16, which is 64% of the 50-cent maximum. At 90 cents, it falls to 0.09, which is 36%.
The July 7, 2026 Kalshi schedule introduced a per-contract multiplier that defaults to 1 on standard markets, so the arithmetic above holds for the vast majority of contracts. No fees apply to winnings. The taker fee is collected at execution, not at resolution.
Kalshi fee schedule by category (2026)
Kalshi applies its 7% taker coefficient across all standard categories. This is the structural difference from Polymarket, which charges $0 on political and economic contracts. On Kalshi, a presidential election contract at 50 cents carries the same $1.75 per 100 contracts as a crypto contract at the same price.
Some non-standard series carry different rates. As of the July 2026 schedule, Kalshi lists 142 non-standard series with lower or zero taker fees. Before trading a contract outside the standard set, confirm the series-specific terms at kalshi.com.
- Standard markets (all categories): 7% taker coefficient. Peak $1.75 per 100 contracts at 50 cents.
- Non-standard series: custom terms, including zero-fee markets for certain contracts. Verify before trading.
- Kalshi perpetual futures: separate tiered schedule. Taker fees from 12.0 basis points at base volume down to 2.6 basis points at the highest volume tier.
Kalshi maker fees
Most standard Kalshi prediction market series carry no maker fee. You pay the taker fee when you cross the spread. You pay nothing when you rest a limit order that others fill.
Designated series work differently. Some charge a positive maker fee rather than paying a rebate. This is the opposite of Polymarket, which pays limit order providers a rebate of 25% of the matched taker fee. For traders running systematic limit strategies on political or economic contracts, knowing whether the specific series carries a maker charge matters before sizing the position.
Kalshi's perpetual futures product runs a separate tiered maker schedule from 5.0 basis points at base volume down to 0.6 basis points at the highest volume tier, based on 30-day trailing volume across prediction markets and perpetuals combined.
Kalshi deposit and withdrawal fees
Kalshi charges a fee of up to 2% on card deposits. The rate may be reduced based on standards applied uniformly across members. Bank transfers and alternative payment rails are subject to Kalshi's right to charge between 0% and 2%.
Crypto deposits and withdrawals may carry fees from Kalshi's third-party payment processor. These fees are disclosed before any transaction. No withdrawal fee comes from Kalshi directly beyond what the payment processor charges.
How do Kalshi fees compare to Polymarket?
The peak taker fee is the same: $1.75 per 100 contracts at 50 cents, with both platforms using a 7% taker rate. On crypto contracts, the cost structure is equivalent.
The divergence is on political and economic markets. Polymarket sets its taker rate to zero for geopolitical and economic categories. Kalshi applies its 7% rate to every category. On a 100-contract political election taker order at 50 cents, that is $0 on global Polymarket and $1.75 on Kalshi.
On maker incentives the platforms run in opposite directions. Polymarket pays a maker rebate, returning 25% of the taker fee to limit order providers. Kalshi does not pay a rebate. Some Kalshi designated series charge a positive maker fee. For active limit order traders running volume in political markets, venue selection on a single trade type is a cost structure decision worth pricing before you size up.
Full fee breakdown for the other side: Polymarket fees. For a complete side-by-side on liquidity, fees, and access: Kalshi vs. Polymarket.
Fees are only one axis. We put every venue side by side on fees, liquidity, regulation and API access in the best prediction market apps comparison.
How Kairos works with Kalshi
Kairos puts Kalshi, Polymarket, and Predict.fun in one order book. Sub-second data across all three venues in real time. When the same event lists on Kalshi and Polymarket at different prices, both books are visible simultaneously.
Fee-aware execution starts with knowing the costs. A political contract at 50 cents carries $0 in taker fees on Polymarket and up to $1.75 on Kalshi per 100 contracts. Capturing that gap requires seeing both venues at once.
Event contracts carry real market risk. Fees are one cost. The position going against you is the other. For the full Kalshi platform review: Kalshi review. For programmatic access: Kalshi API.