Introduction to Post Only Orders

Available as an additional option to Limit or Conditional Limit Orders, Post Only Orders serve to strictly ensure that your Limit Orders will be placed into the order book and therefore pay a lower trading fee than it is ultimately executed. By selecting this option, the system will automatically cancel the limit order, if it detects that it will be executed immediately upon the order placement. 

Main purpose for trading

By selecting the Post Only option with your Limit Orders, traders can ensure that their Limit Orders will enter the order book and therefore pay a lower trading fee when the order is executed. What this means for traders is that they can now have more control over their trading fee, which is particularly sensitive for large volume or scalp traders.

For example

In a highly volatile market situation (e.g. dumping), trader A places a Long (Buy) 20 BTC of BTCUSDT contract at USD 9,000 and the current best ask price shown in the order book is 9,001 but quickly moved to 8,995 when the Limit Order is finally placed. The following are 2 examples of Trader A placing the Limit order with or without selecting the Post Only option.

• Without Post Only option

As the best ask price has already moved to a better price point (USD 8,995) compared to the buy order's limit price (USD 9,000), the system will immediately execute the Limit Order as a Market Order and fill it from the best available ask price all the way to USD 9,000. As a result, this may unintentionally cause trader A to pay a taker fee when actually expecting to pay a lower trading fee(maker fee).

• With Post Only option

As the best ask price has already moved to a better price point (USD 8,995) compared to the buy order's limit price (USD 9,000), resulting in immediate order execution, the system will automatically cancel this limit order as it was unable to be placed into the order book. This means that Trader A will not unintentionally pay higher trading fees (taker fee).