How to Use a Post-Only Order in Crypto Futures — Save Fees

By Editorial Team · July 2026

Trading crypto futures can get expensive fast if you’re not paying attention to fees. Every time you place a market order or a limit order that gets filled immediately, you’re paying the taker fee — which can be 0.04% to 0.10% per trade on major exchanges like Binance, Bybit, or OKX. Over hundreds of trades, those fees eat into your profits. That’s where the post-only order comes in.

A post-only order is a special type of limit order that ensures you always add liquidity to the order book, never remove it. If your limit order would be filled immediately (meaning you’d be taking liquidity), the exchange cancels the order instead. This guarantees you pay the maker fee — which is often 0% or significantly lower than the taker fee. For high-frequency traders, scalpers, and anyone running automated strategies, this is a game-changer.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn exactly how to use post-only orders in crypto futures, who should use them, and the common mistakes that can cost you money. Let’s get into it.

Who This Is For

This guide is for intermediate crypto futures traders who want to reduce trading costs, improve order execution, and avoid accidentally paying taker fees when they intend to be a market maker.

What You’ll Need

• A funded account on a crypto futures exchange that supports post-only orders (Binance Futures, Bybit, OKX, Deribit, Kraken Futures)
• At least $50–$100 in USDT or the base asset to place a futures trade
• Basic understanding of limit orders vs. market orders
• Familiarity with the exchange’s fee schedule (maker/taker rates)
• A strategy that involves placing orders away from the current market price

Step 1: Understand Maker vs. Taker Fees

Before you can use post-only orders effectively, you need to know the difference between maker and taker fees. Every futures exchange charges two types of trading fees:

• Maker fee: Paid when you place a limit order that sits on the order book and gets filled later. You’re “making” liquidity for the market. On Binance Futures, the maker fee is typically 0.02% (or 0% for VIP traders). On Bybit, it’s often 0.01%.
• Taker fee: Paid when you place an order that gets filled immediately — either a market order or a limit order that matches an existing order instantly. You’re “taking” liquidity. Taker fees range from 0.04% to 0.10% on most exchanges.

So the difference between maker and taker fees can be 0.03% to 0.08% per trade. If you’re trading $10,000 in notional value, that’s $3 to $8 saved per trade — just by using a post-only order. Over 100 trades, that’s $300 to $800 in savings. Not bad for clicking one extra button.

But here’s the catch: not all limit orders are maker orders. If you place a limit order that’s too close to the current market price and it gets filled instantly, you’ll be charged the taker fee. That’s exactly what a post-only order prevents.

Step 2: Enable Post-Only on Your Exchange

Now that you understand the fee structure, let’s walk through how to enable post-only on the three most popular futures exchanges. The process is nearly identical across platforms.

On Binance Futures:

• Open the futures trading interface.
• In the order entry box, select “Limit” as the order type.
• Look for a small toggle labeled “Post Only” — it’s usually near the “Reduce Only” and “TP/SL” options.
• Toggle it on (it will turn blue or green).
• Enter your price and quantity, then click “Buy/Long” or “Sell/Short”.
• If your price is too close to the current market price, the order will be rejected or canceled immediately.

On Bybit Futures:

• Navigate to the USDT perpetual or inverse futures page.
• Select “Limit” from the order type dropdown.
• Below the price and quantity fields, find the “Post Only” checkbox.
• Check it. A small tooltip will confirm: “Your order will only be posted as a maker order.”
• Place the order. If it would fill immediately, you’ll see an error message.

On OKX Futures:

• Go to the futures trading page.
• Choose “Limit” order type.
• Look for “Advanced” or “Order Options” — click to expand.
• Enable “Post Only”.
• Submit the order.

Most exchanges also support the postOnly parameter in their API for automated trading. If you’re using a bot or a custom script, you can set this flag programmatically. For example, on Binance’s API, you’d include "postOnly": true in your order payload.

Step 3: Place a Post-Only Order Correctly

Here’s where most traders mess up. A post-only order doesn’t mean “I want to pay maker fees” — it means “I want this order to only execute as a maker order. If it can’t, cancel it.” So you need to place your limit order at a price that won’t get hit immediately.

Example: Let’s say Bitcoin is trading at $30,000. You want to open a long position. If you set a limit buy at $29,950 (below market), that order will sit on the order book waiting for sellers to drop the price. That’s a maker order — perfect for post-only. But if you set a limit buy at $30,010 (above market), your order would match with existing sell orders instantly, making it a taker order. With post-only enabled, that order would be rejected.

So the rule is simple: place your limit order on the opposite side of the spread. For buys, set the price below the current best ask. For sells, set the price above the current best bid.

This strategy works well for:

• Grid trading bots: They place multiple limit orders above and below the current price. Using post-only ensures every grid order is a maker order.
• Scalping: If you’re trying to buy the dip or sell the rip, you can place post-only orders at key support/resistance levels and wait patiently.
• Dollar-cost averaging (DCA): Set post-only limit orders at incremental price levels to accumulate positions without paying taker fees.

Step 4: Monitor and Adjust Your Post-Only Orders

Post-only orders aren’t set-and-forget. The market moves, and your order might become “too close” to the current price, causing it to get canceled even if it hasn’t filled yet. Here’s what to watch for:

• Order canceled without fill: If the market price moves toward your order, the exchange may cancel it before it fills. This is normal. Just re-enter at a new price further away.
• Partial fills: Some exchanges allow partial fills on post-only orders. If half your order fills as a maker and the remaining half would fill as a taker, the leftover gets canceled. You’ll only pay maker fees on the filled portion.
• Fee rebates: Some VIP tiers actually pay you a rebate for adding liquidity. On Binance, VIP 4–9 traders get a 0.005% to 0.015% rebate on maker orders. That means you earn money just for placing an order — even if it doesn’t fill!

A good practice is to check your fee history after a trading session. Most exchanges have a “Trade History” or “Fee Report” section where you can see exactly how much you paid in maker vs. taker fees. If you see taker fees on limit orders, you forgot to enable post-only.

Common Pitfalls and Risks

⚠️ Risk: Placing post-only orders too close to the market price. This is the #1 mistake. If your limit order is within the spread, it will either get filled immediately (if post-only is off) or canceled (if post-only is on). Either way, you waste time and miss the trade. Mitigation: Always place your post-only order at least 2–5 ticks away from the current best bid/ask. For volatile altcoins, increase the distance to 10–20 ticks.

⚠️ Risk: Assuming post-only means “no fees.” Post-only ensures you pay the maker fee, but it doesn’t make fees zero. Maker fees can still be 0.01%–0.02% on most exchanges. If you’re trading small amounts, the fee savings might not justify the effort. Mitigation: Calculate your break-even. If you’re trading $100 per trade, saving 0.02% is only $0.02. For larger traders ($1,000+ per trade), the savings add up quickly.

⚠️ Risk: Forgetting to disable post-only when you want a quick fill. If the market is moving fast and you need to enter a position immediately, a post-only order will just get rejected. You’ll miss the move. Mitigation: Use market orders or limit orders without post-only when speed matters. Save post-only for patient, fee-conscious strategies.

This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Crypto futures trading carries substantial risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

What Next?

Once you’ve mastered post-only orders on one exchange, practice placing them on a testnet or with small amounts before scaling up to larger positions.

Sources & References

• Maker Fee Definition — Investopedia
• Maker and Taker Fees Explained — CoinDesk
• Binance Post-Only Order FAQ — Binance Support
• Learn more about order types in our guide on <a href="AI Range Trading Optimized for Bitcoin Only“>limit orders in crypto trading.

— Editorial Team