Is a Limit Order Maker or Taker? Post Only, IOC, FOK and What You Pay (2026)

Checked on October 13, 2026. Definitions and rules come from the OKX help center, the OKX API documentation and Binance's official FAQ; rates come from both exchanges' official fee pages. All sources are listed at the end.

Is a limit order maker or taker? It depends on whether it fills the moment you place it. Maker and taker are not order types; they describe how an order fills. A limit order that rests on the order book and waits for someone else is a maker. A limit order priced so that it matches orders already on the book is a taker for whatever fills immediately. A market order fills immediately and is normally charged as taker.

This matters for your fees. A Regular OKX user pays 0.08% maker and 0.10% taker on spot, and 0.02% maker and 0.05% taker on perpetuals, so a taker fill on futures costs 2.5 times a maker fill. Below: how to tell which one you'll get, how to make sure you pay the maker rate, and how to check what a given fill was charged.

How OKX and Binance define maker and taker

OKX's trading fee rules define them like this:

• Taker: you place an order that is immediately filled against an order already on the order book.
• Maker: you place an order that goes on the order book with a set price and quantity and waits to be matched.

OKX also says that if a limit order matches immediately with an existing order, it is treated as a taker order. Binance says the same thing more bluntly: a limit order does not guarantee maker status, and trades from market orders are always takers.

Another way to see it: a maker adds liquidity to the order book and a taker removes it. Exchanges charge the liquidity provider less.

When a limit order becomes a taker

There's one test: can your limit price trade against the best price on the other side right now?

• Limit buy: if your price is at or above the best ask, it fills immediately and is a taker. OKX's help center says that if your buy price is equal to or higher than the current best ask, the order may immediately match existing sell orders.
• Limit sell: if your price is at or below the best bid, it fills immediately and is a taker.
• A buy below the best ask or a sell above the best bid joins the order book; whatever fills later is maker.

An example with made-up prices: best ask 100.00, best bid 99.98. A limit buy at 100.05 fills straight away at 100.00 and is charged as taker. A limit buy at 99.98 or 99.95 waits in the book and is charged as maker when it fills.

One order can be both. If your limit buy is larger than the size available at the best ask, the part that fills immediately is taker and the remainder rests on the book; when it fills later, that part is maker. Fees are charged per fill, as explained in Are OKX Spot Fees Charged per Order or per Fill?

Maker or taker, by order type

Whether a stop should become a market or limit order after it triggers is a separate trade-off, covered in Stop-Loss: Market or Limit?

To guarantee the maker rate, use Post Only

A regular limit order becomes a taker as soon as your price crosses the spread. If you only want maker fills, tick Post Only when you place the order.

OKX explains that if a Post Only order would match an existing order instantly, the system cancels it instead of letting it execute as a taker. The catch is that it doesn't guarantee a fill: in a fast market it may be cancelled right away, or it may rest while price moves away and never fill.

Post Only suits orders you're happy to wait on, such as building a position in steps or grid trading. When you need to exit a position or chase a move, it gets in the way.

How much maker vs taker costs

Regular-user rates from both exchanges' official fee pages on the day we checked:

For a Regular Binance spot user, maker and taker cost the same, so the distinction barely matters. On futures, taker is 2.5 times maker, and because you pay on both opening and closing, the gap doubles over a round trip. The fee calculator shows the per-trade and monthly difference for your own volume, VIP tier and maker/taker mix.

OKX Europe uses a different schedule: spot-only accounts pay 0.100% maker and 0.200% taker. See OKX Europe Fees.

How to check whether a fill was maker or taker

• Work it out from the fee: find the fill in your order history or trade details, divide the fee by the filled amount, and compare the result with your maker and taker rates.
• Use the API: OKX fill records include an execType field: T for taker, M for maker.
• Know your own rate first: log in and check My trading fees, since rates vary by tier and pair. See OKX Fee Tiers Explained.

FAQ

Is a limit order maker or taker?
It depends on whether it fills immediately. Any part that matches the book on placement is taker; any part that rests on the book and fills later is maker.

Is a market order maker or taker?
A market order fills immediately against the book and is normally charged as taker.

How do I make sure I only pay the maker fee?
Use Post Only. If the order would fill immediately, it is cancelled, so a fill isn't guaranteed.

Is a limit buy at the best ask a maker order?
No. A buy at the best ask fills immediately and is taker. To be a maker, your buy has to be below the current best ask.

Is a stop-loss maker or taker?
It depends on the order sent after the trigger. A stop-market is usually taker; a stop-limit that rests and is filled later is maker.

Official sources

• OKX: Trading fee rules FAQ
• OKX: How do I trade with different order types
• OKX: Basic order types (Post Only, IOC, FOK)
• OKX API documentation (execType in fills)
• OKX fee page, Binance spot fees, Binance futures fees
• Binance: What are makers and takers

This article explains order and fee rules and is not investment advice.