How Do You Calculate Trading Fee Costs?

Short answer: Single-side fee = notional × rate; one full round trip = single-side × 2; cumulative fees = round trip × round trips per day × days. Spot is normally charged on both sides.

From one trade to the total

Start with one side: multiply the notional by the rate. A buy and a sell are two separate fills, each charged on its own notional, so a full round trip costs twice the single-side amount.

Multiply the round trip by your daily frequency and the number of days to get the cumulative fee. That total is usually far larger than the per-trade figure, because the notional is charged over and over.

Formulas

Single-side feenotional × rate
One full round tripsingle-side fee × 2
Cumulative feeround trip × round trips per day × days
Cumulative notionalnotional × 2 × round trips per day × days

Worked example (recompute it yourself)

2,000 USDT per trade at a 0.1% rate: single-side fee = 2,000 × 0.001 = 2.00 USDT, so one full round trip = 4.00 USDT.

At 4 round trips a day for 250 days: cumulative fees = 4.00 × 4 × 250 = 4,000 USDT.

Cumulative notional over the same period = 2,000 × 2 × 4 × 250 = 4,000,000 USDT. The fee is 0.1% of notional, yet in absolute terms it is twice the per-trade size.

Cumulative cost by trade frequency

Round trips per dayFee per day250-day total
14.00 USDT1,000 USDT
28.00 USDT2,000 USDT
416.00 USDT4,000 USDT
832.00 USDT8,000 USDT

2,000 USDT per trade, 0.1% single-side rate, 250 trading days.

Notes

Actual rates depend on the venue, your VIP tier and whether platform tokens are used for discounts. Use your own account rate.

This page covers trading fees only. Slippage, funding rates and withdrawal fees are separate cost items and are not included.

The higher your trading frequency, the more the fee-to-capital ratio scales up. Any high-frequency strategy should net this cost out before being judged viable.

FAQ

Why is a round trip charged twice?

A buy and a sell are two independent fills, each charged on its own notional. Counting one side only badly understates the real cost.

Are maker and taker rates the same?

Not always. Many venues charge less for maker orders that add liquidity and more for taker orders that fill immediately. Enter the rate that matches how you actually trade.

Is the fee based on capital or on notional?

On notional. On the sell side the notional is your proceeds, which need not equal your original capital, so the absolute fees differ slightly between the two legs.