When it comes to cryptocurrency trading, understanding platform fees is crucial for maximizing profits and minimizing costs. OKX, a leading digital asset exchange, offers a transparent and tiered fee structure designed to reward active traders with significant discounts. This comprehensive guide breaks down how OKX calculates commissions, determines user tiers, and applies fees across spot trading pairs—giving you the insights needed to trade smarter.
How OKX Determines Fee Tiers
OKX categorizes users into different fee tiers based on two key metrics: 30-day trading volume and assets under management (AUM). These values are updated daily at 4:00 PM UTC, ensuring that your fee status reflects your most recent activity.
The higher your trading volume or managed assets, the lower your trading fees. For instance, a user with a 30-day trading volume exceeding 50,000,001 EUR qualifies for the top-tier benefits—enjoying a 0.000% maker fee and just 0.030% taker fee. This incentivizes consistent trading and long-term engagement on the platform.
👉 Discover how high-volume trading can slash your fees instantly.
Main and Sub-Account Fee Integration
If you manage multiple accounts through OKX’s sub-account system, your fee tier is determined collectively. The platform aggregates the 30-day trading volume of your main account and all associated sub-accounts to calculate your tier.
Once established, this fee tier applies uniformly across all sub-accounts. However, it's important to note that the updated tier only takes effect after 4:00 PM UTC on the day the sub-account is created. This means new sub-accounts won’t immediately inherit the main account’s discount level until the next daily update cycle.
This unified approach simplifies portfolio management for institutional traders, family offices, or teams running coordinated strategies—ensuring everyone benefits from collective trading power.
Calculating 30-Day Trading Volume in EUR
OKX uses a precise methodology to standardize trading volume across diverse crypto pairs, converting everything into EUR equivalents for consistency.
For Crypto Pairs (e.g., BTC/USDT, ETH/BTC)
All trades are first converted into their BTC equivalent at the time of execution. Then:
- Daily at 4:00 PM UTC, OKX calculates the average daily price of BTC/USD using the formula:
(Opening Price + Closing Price) / 2. - Your total BTC-denominated trading volume is converted to USD using this average.
- Finally, USD values are converted to EUR using the current exchange rate.
This method ensures fair and accurate volume tracking regardless of which trading pair you use—even if you trade primarily in USDT, ETH, or other cryptocurrencies.
For EUR Pairs (e.g., USDT/EUR, BTC/EUR)
Trades involving EUR pairs are simpler: each transaction is recorded in EUR value at the exact moment of trade execution. At 4:00 PM UTC every day, OKX sums up all these EUR-denominated trades over the past 30 days to determine your rolling volume.
This real-time pricing approach prevents discrepancies due to market volatility and gives users confidence in the accuracy of their fee tier calculations.
Understanding Spot Trading Fee Rules
Trading fees on OKX are applied differently depending on whether you act as a maker or a taker in a transaction.
- Maker: You place a limit order that adds liquidity to the market (i.e., it doesn’t execute immediately).
- Taker: You place an order that removes liquidity by matching an existing order (e.g., market orders).
Fees are calculated using the following formula:
Fee = Fee Rate × Amount of Crypto Traded at Execution
Let’s break this down with practical examples.
Example 1: Buying USDT with EUR (Taker)
Assume:
- Current USDT price = 10 EUR
- Trader A has standard rates: 0.1% taker fee, 0.04% maker fee
- A buys 1 USDT at market price → classified as a taker
Trading Fee = 0.1% × 1 USDT = 0.001 USDT
After fees, A receives 0.999 USDT
Example 2: Selling USDT for EUR (Maker)
Now, A places a limit sell order for 1 USDT at 10 EUR and waits for it to be filled. Since this adds liquidity, A is considered a maker.
Trading Fee = 0.04% × 10 EUR = 0.004 EUR
After fees, A receives 9.996 EUR
This clear distinction encourages users to place limit orders when possible—helping reduce costs while contributing to market depth.
👉 See how switching to maker orders can cut your fees by up to 60%.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How often are fee tiers updated?
Fee tiers are recalculated and updated daily at 4:00 PM UTC, based on your trailing 30-day trading volume and assets under management.
Q: Do sub-accounts have separate fee tiers?
No. Sub-accounts share the same fee tier as the main account, which is determined by the combined trading volume of the main and all sub-accounts.
Q: Are fees charged in the same currency as the trade?
Yes. Fees are typically deducted in the same cryptocurrency or fiat currency involved in the transaction, such as USDT, BTC, or EUR—depending on the pair traded.
Q: Can I reduce my fees without increasing trading volume?
While volume is the primary driver, OKX occasionally runs promotions or offers referral-based fee reductions. Additionally, holding certain tokens or participating in ecosystem activities may provide supplementary discounts.
Q: What happens if my trading volume drops?
If your 30-day volume decreases, your fee tier will adjust accordingly during the next daily update. There’s no penalty, but you may lose access to higher-tier discounts until volume rebounds.
Q: Is there a minimum trading volume to start getting discounts?
There is no minimum threshold—discounts scale progressively. Even low-volume traders benefit from predictable, transparent pricing starting from Tier 1.
Final Thoughts: Optimize Your Trading Strategy
Understanding OKX’s commission model empowers you to make informed decisions about order types, timing, and volume management. Whether you're a casual investor or a high-frequency trader, leveraging the tiered system can lead to substantial savings over time.
By consolidating accounts, focusing on maker orders, and maintaining consistent trading activity, you position yourself to access the lowest possible fees—freeing up more capital for growth.
👉 Start optimizing your trading costs today—see what lower fees can do for your portfolio.
All information in this article is accurate as of 2025 and aligns with OKX’s publicly available fee policies.