Kalshi fees, explained with worked examples

How are Kalshi fees calculated?

Kalshi's fee schedule, effective July 7, 2026, gives the trading fee in dollars as round up(M × 0.07 × C × P × (1 − P)). C is the number of contracts and P is the price in dollars, so 50 cents is 0.50. M is a multiplier set for each series, and it is 1 unless the schedule says otherwise. Kalshi's help center calls it a transaction fee on the expected earnings of the contract, which is why it is largest near 50 cents and shrinks toward 1 cent and 99 cents.

The schedule defines "round up" as rounding so that the fee plus the position cost reaches a centicent, which is $0.0001. Its general fee table lists whole cents: $0.02 for one contract at 50 cents, and exact amounts such as $1.75 for 100 contracts. Kalshi's API documentation adds that accounts held directly with Kalshi settle to $0.0001, while accounts held through a broker (a futures commission merchant) settle in whole cents, and any rounding overpayment is refunded at that precision. So a small order on a direct account can cost up to a cent less than the table shows.

The fee is charged when the order fills, before the outcome is known. Kalshi's help center says you can see it in the order ticket by clicking the "i" next to "You're buying". The July 2026 edition of the schedule lists no settlement fee and no membership fee.

• Price as a decimal: 50 cents is 0.50.
• Multiply the price by one minus the price: 0.50 × 0.50 = 0.25.
• Multiply by the number of contracts: 0.25 × 100 = 25.
• Multiply by 0.07 and by the series multiplier, which is 1 for a standard series: 25 × 0.07 × 1 = $1.75.
• Round up if needed. $1.75 needs no rounding, so the fee on 100 contracts at 50 cents is $1.75.

What do Kalshi fees cost at 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 cents?

Each row is 100 contracts bought at that price with an order that fills right away, so you pay the taker fee. Every result is a whole number of cents, so rounding changes nothing. The fee is smallest in dollars at the extremes, but as a share of what you pay it is largest at low prices: 6.3% of cost at 10 cents against 0.7% at 90 cents.

How does a Kalshi payout work?

Each contract pays $1 if your side is right and nothing if it is wrong. The fee was already paid when the order filled, so a win is $1 per contract minus what you paid, fee included. Kalshi's help center says winning contracts are paid to your cash balance once the market settles, usually within about 3 hours after the outcome is known and sometimes longer. Each market page shows when payout is expected.

Earnings above what you deposited are not subject to the deposit hold. Funds in open positions cannot be withdrawn until those positions close.

Do resting orders pay Kalshi fees?

It depends on the series. Kalshi charges trading fees on orders that match immediately against orders already on the book. A resting order pays no trading fee unless the schedule's Maker Fees rules cover its series. The maker fee is round up(M × 0.0175 × C × P × (1 − P)), a quarter of the taker rate, and M for makers defaults to 0. So maker fees apply only to series that the schedule's Non-Standard Fees table lists with a maker multiplier of 1. Many popular sports and economics series are listed that way, including series with tickers such as KXFED, KXCPI, KXNBA and KXNFLGAME. On those series, 100 contracts at 50 cents would cost about $0.44 as a maker, against $1.75 as a taker. The fee is charged only when the resting order fills, and canceling costs nothing. Kalshi's help center sends readers to the fee schedule, so check the series before you count on a zero.

Are Kalshi fees the same on every market?

No. The general formula covers every event market except the series in the schedule's Non-Standard Fees table, which lists a maker multiplier and a taker multiplier for each. Most listed series are 1 and 1, which means the standard taker fee plus a maker fee. A few are 0 and 0, which means no trading fees. The July 2026 edition lists KXBTCY and KXETHY among them. KXMVE combo markets, excluding uncorrelated NFL combos, have a taker multiplier of 2, so the taker fee is double the table amount. S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 yearly-range series (KXINXY and KXNASDAQ100Y) are listed at 1, the standard rate. Kalshi's help center adds that fees can differ around special events, and its API shows a fee multiplier for each series. Kalshi also lists fees for perpetual futures, a separate product quoted in basis points and tiered by trading volume, which this guide does not cover. Read the fee in the order ticket rather than assuming the general formula.

How much does it cost to deposit and withdraw on Kalshi?

Most methods cost nothing from Kalshi, but card, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and crypto deposits can carry fees. Kalshi's help center lists the following as of October 2026. Kalshi's fee schedule adds that crypto fees are set by the payment processor and disclosed before the transaction, that Kalshi may charge 0% to 2% on any payment method, and that customers who trade through a third-party futures commission merchant may pay that firm's fees. Your own bank or wallet provider may add charges that Kalshi does not control.

Holds apply to the original deposit only. Card and bank deposits can be held for up to 2 days after they settle before you can withdraw to a different method. PayPal, Venmo, crypto and wire deposits have no hold.

How do Kalshi fees compare with Polymarket US fees?

Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated app for US users, posts its own fee schedule, marked effective October 7, 2026. Takers pay 0.0695 × C × P × (1 − P), rounded to the nearest cent with banker's rounding, so an exact half goes to the even cent. That coefficient was raised from 0.06 on September 17, 2026, according to the exchange's weekly CFTC filing, so rates do move. Until 1 PM ET on October 19, 2026, resting orders earn a rebate of 0.0125 × C × P × (1 − P). After that, only makers with $10 million or more of maker volume in the prior month earn one. Table Tennis, combo markets and high-volume takers have their own terms. The Polymarket fees guide walks through the whole schedule with worked examples, and the Polymarket calculator runs your own trade.

polymarket.com, the international site, is a separate product with its own fee page. It charges takers a category rate between 0.04 and 0.07, and Polymarket's geoblock page lists the United States as close-only there, so US users cannot open new positions.

Is there a Kalshi fee calculator?

doddo's Kalshi fee calculator applies the formula above to any price and number of contracts, so you can check an order before you place it. The fee shown in Kalshi's own order ticket is the one that counts.

How can doddo help with Kalshi?

doddo is a free web app with one Money Inbox for claims and refunds, bank bonuses, sportsbook bonus conversion and prediction market signup credits. Its Kalshi and Polymarket US pages show the published credit requirements, the withdrawal rules, the date doddo last reviewed them and an estimate of usable value, labeled as an estimate.

doddo does not trade for you, hold your money or ask for your Kalshi password. It is web only and US only, and new accounts are on a waitlist right now. Trading can lose the whole amount you put in. If it stops feeling like a choice, see our responsible gaming resources.