In this guide
What Are Polymarket's Fees in 2026?
Polymarket does not levy any platform trading fee. Your only expenses are Polygon gas fees (generally below $0.01 per transaction) and potential conversion charges when exchanging USDC into GBP. This positions Polymarket amongst the most cost-efficient crypto prediction markets for UK-based participants.
Trading Fees: Zero
In contrast to conventional sportsbooks that embed an overround into all markets, Polymarket operates via an AMM-style order book mechanism where liquidity providers establish the spread. Polymarket itself does not impose a direct "vig" charge. Instead, you encounter the spread implicitly, which tightens as additional liquidity flows into markets.
Gas Fees on Polygon
Every Polymarket transaction executes on the Polygon PoS blockchain, with gas paid in MATIC and costing roughly $0.001 to $0.02 per transaction irrespective of trade magnitude. This represents a substantial saving relative to Ethereum layer-one costs.
- Opening a position: ~$0.003–0.01
- Closing or settling a position: ~$0.003–0.01
- Transferring USDC to an external address: ~$0.005–0.02
- Cross-chain transfer (Polygon → Ethereum): $5–20 (best avoided unless critical)
Deposit Fees
Moving USDC to Polygon incurs no fee from Polymarket's side. However, your originating exchange may apply a withdrawal charge to facilitate the USDC transfer to Polygon. Coinbase typically charges ~$0.01–1 contingent on network conditions. Selecting the native Polygon USDC pathway reduces overall friction.
Currency Conversion Costs (GBP ↔ USDC)
UK participants typically encounter the most substantial cost burden at the conversion stage. A full cycle of currency exchange (GBP → USDC → GBP) through a leading exchange ordinarily runs 0.5–1.5% in aggregate expenses, factoring in the bid-ask spread.