Maker fee

Exchanges want depth on their order books, so many charge a lower fee (sometimes zero, or even a rebate) to orders that add liquidity, and a higher fee to orders that remove it.

For example, a $1,000 limit order that sits on the book and fills later at a 0.02% maker fee costs $0.20 in fees — often less than half of what the same trade would cost as a taker order.

A common mistake is assuming maker and taker fees are identical on a given exchange. Checking which rate applies to your usual order type (limit vs. market) can matter more for your total costs than the exchange's headline fee number.