What is the easiest way to pay lower crypto trading fees?

Use a referral code when you open the account and place limit (maker) orders where you can. Both work from the first trade and do not require more volume.

Which crypto exchange has the lowest trading fees?

On base-tier futures taker fees, MEXC is the lowest on our list at 0.02%. On spot, Crypto.com lists 0.075%. Our fees comparison ranks all 21.

Do referral codes reduce fees permanently?

It depends on the exchange: some apply the discount for as long as you trade, others for a set period or up to a volume cap, such as Hyperliquid's first $25M. Each exchange page shows what we found.

Are withdrawal fees part of trading fees?

No. Withdrawal fees are charged when you move coins off the exchange and depend on the coin and network. A referral code does not reduce them.

How to Reduce Crypto Trading Fees: 7 Ways, Ranked by What They Save

By Alex Wu · Published August 17, 2026 · Updated November 5, 2026

Trading fees are the one cost you know before you trade. They look tiny, 0.05% here and 0.1% there, but an active futures trader can pay thousands of dollars a year. Here are seven ways to pay less, starting with the ones that save the most for the least effort. The fee figures are the base-tier rates we show on each exchange page.

1. Pick the exchange for the way you trade

The same trader can pay four times more on one exchange than another. In our comparison of 21 exchanges, 20 futures taker orders of $10,000 a month cost about $480 a year on MEXC (0.02% taker) and about $1,920 a year on Weex (0.08%).

Mostly futures market orders: a low taker rate matters most. MEXC (0.02%), WhiteBIT (0.04%) and Hyperliquid (0.045%) are the lowest on our list.
Mostly spot: look at the spot rate. Crypto.com lists 0.075% and Gate.io 0.09%, against 0.1% on most others and 0.2% on HTX.

Fees are not the only thing that matters. Liquidity, the coins listed, leverage and whether the exchange serves your country count too; check restricted countries by exchange before you sign up.

2. Use a referral code when you open the account

A code takes a share off every fee you pay, from the first trade, without changing how you trade. On most exchanges we cover, the codes give up to 20% off eligible fees. On the trader above, that is about $96 a year on MEXC and $384 on Weex.

The catch is timing. Most exchanges link a code only when the account is created; a few allow it for a short window afterwards. Our guide to adding a referral code after sign-up lists the rule for each exchange.

3. Be the maker, not the taker

On futures, maker orders cost much less than taker orders: 0.02% against 0.05% on Binance, 0.01% against 0.06% on Phemex, and 0% against 0.02% on MEXC. A trader who enters with limit orders instead of market orders can cut the entry fee by more than half.

Use the post-only option where the exchange offers it, so an order that would fill instantly is cancelled instead of charged as a taker. Our maker vs taker guide explains when a limit order still counts as a taker.

4. Trade fewer round trips

Every position costs two fees: one to open and one to close. Halving the number of trades halves the bill, while a lower rate only trims it. Before you open a trade, ask whether it is part of your plan or a reaction to the last candle. Over a year, discipline saves more than any discount.

5. Watch leverage and funding

On futures, fees are charged on the full position, not your margin. At 10x leverage, $1,000 of margin is charged as a $10,000 trade. Lower leverage means smaller fees on the same idea, and a smaller risk of liquidation. Perpetuals also charge funding every few hours, which no referral code reduces. If you hold for weeks, spot may be cheaper; see spot vs futures fees.

6. Pay fees with the exchange's token, if you would hold it anyway

Some exchanges give a discount for paying fees in their own token, such as BNB on Binance or KCS on KuCoin. It can help, but only if you were happy to hold that token. A 10% drop in its price wipes out a lot of fee savings.

7. Check the costs outside the fee table

The trading fee is only part of what you pay:

Spread and slippage. On thin markets, a large market order fills at worse prices. A deep order book can save more than a lower fee.
Withdrawal fees. Moving coins off the exchange costs a network fee, and it varies by coin and network. Choose a cheap network when the exchange offers several.
Deposit and card fees. Buying with a card or through a payment provider often costs far more than the trading fee.

Putting it together

A trader moving from market orders on a 0.06% exchange with no code to limit entries on a 0.05% exchange with a 20% code cuts the cost per round trip by roughly half, without trading any less. Add fewer, better-planned trades and the bill falls further.

Start with the two steps you can only do once, at sign-up: choose the exchange and enter the code. The list of all exchange codes shows the code, fees and add-later rule for each exchange in one table, and exchange fee tiers explains why VIP levels rarely matter for smaller traders.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to pay lower crypto trading fees?: Use a referral code when you open the account and place limit (maker) orders where you can. Both work from the first trade and do not require more volume.
Which crypto exchange has the lowest trading fees?: On base-tier futures taker fees, MEXC is the lowest on our list at 0.02%. On spot, Crypto.com lists 0.075%. Our fees comparison ranks all 21.
Do referral codes reduce fees permanently?: It depends on the exchange: some apply the discount for as long as you trade, others for a set period or up to a volume cap, such as Hyperliquid's first $25M. Each exchange page shows what we found.
Are withdrawal fees part of trading fees?: No. Withdrawal fees are charged when you move coins off the exchange and depend on the coin and network. A referral code does not reduce them.