Exchange Fee Tiers Explained: How VIP Levels Work and When They Matter
By Alex Wu · Published · Updated
Every large crypto exchange publishes a fee table with a row for each "VIP" or "tier" level. The higher you go, the less you pay per trade. It sounds like a reward for loyalty, but for most traders the base tier is where they will stay. This guide explains how tiers are calculated, what it takes to move up, and how they combine with token discounts and referral codes.
What a fee tier is
A fee tier is a level in an exchange's pricing table. New accounts start at the bottom, usually called VIP 0 or Regular. Each step up lowers the maker and taker rates. The rates on every exchange page on TradeSavings are the base-tier rates, because that is what a new account pays.
At the base tier the exchanges we cover charge, for example:
- Binance: 0.1% spot, 0.02% / 0.05% futures maker/taker
- OKX: 0.08% / 0.1% spot, 0.02% / 0.05% futures
- Bybit: 0.1% spot, 0.02% / 0.055% futures
- Bitget and KuCoin: 0.1% spot, 0.02% / 0.06% futures
The higher rows of each table change often, so check the exchange's own fee page for the current numbers rather than a screenshot in a guide.
How exchanges decide your tier
Exchanges use one or more of these, and the details differ between them:
- 30-day trading volume. The most common measure: the total value of your trades over the last 30 days, in USD or BTC. Spot and futures volume are often counted separately, with separate tables.
- Holdings of the exchange's own token. Some exchanges move you up a level, or give a separate discount, if you hold a minimum balance of their token.
- Total assets on the account. A few exchanges look at your balance as well as your volume.
Tiers are usually recalculated daily on a rolling window. Trade less for a month and you can drop back down.
How much volume it takes
The first VIP level on major exchanges typically needs a seven-figure 30-day volume, measured in millions of dollars rather than thousands. A trader turning over $10,000 a day reaches about $300,000 a month, which is well short of that on most exchanges.
That is why, for most readers, tiers are something to know about rather than to chase. Trading more just to reach a tier usually costs more in extra fees and losses than the lower rate saves.
Token discounts are a separate lever
Several exchanges cut fees when you pay them in their own token, for example BNB on Binance or KCS on KuCoin. This discount usually applies at every tier, including the base tier, so it can matter more than VIP levels for a small trader. The catch is that you have to hold the token, and its price can fall. Treat it as a fee saving only if you were happy to hold the token anyway.
Where referral codes fit
A referral code takes a percentage off the fee you pay at your tier. On most exchanges we cover, our codes give up to 20% off eligible trading fees. Because it starts on day one, at the base tier, it is the only reduction most traders get without changing how much or how they trade.
Some exchanges let the referral discount and a token discount stack, while others apply only one, and a few reduce or end the referral discount once you reach a high VIP level. The exact rules are in each exchange's referral terms, and our exchange pages note where we found a specific rule. On Phemex, for instance, we suggest checking its VIP terms for how the two discounts interact once you reach a tier.
A quick worked example
A trader places $200,000 of futures taker orders a month on Binance at the base tier:
- Base rate: $200,000 × 0.05% = $100 a month
- With a 20% referral discount: $80 a month
- The same trader would need many times that volume to reach the first VIP level, so the referral code is the realistic saving.
For more scenarios, see how much a referral code saves at $10k, $100k and $1M a month.
How to check your own tier
Most exchanges show your current level and 30-day volume on the fee or VIP page in your account. Before you change how you trade to chase a tier:
- Check your actual 30-day volume.
- Compare it with the next level's requirement on the exchange's current fee page.
- Work out the saving in dollars at your real volume, not the headline percentage.
- Remember that maker orders and a referral code save money at every tier.
Frequently asked questions
- What does VIP 0 mean?
- It is the base fee level that every new account starts at. The fees on TradeSavings exchange pages are the VIP 0 rates.
- Do fee tiers reset?
- Most exchanges recalculate your tier daily from your last 30 days of activity, so you can move down as well as up.
- Is it worth trading more to reach a VIP tier?
- Rarely. The first tier on major exchanges needs millions of dollars of monthly volume. Extra trading to get there usually costs more than the lower rate saves.
- Does a referral code still work at higher VIP levels?
- It depends on the exchange. Some keep the referral discount at every level, some reduce or end it at higher levels. Check the exchange's referral terms; our exchange pages note the rules we found.