How Much Does a Perpetual Contract Cost Daily? OKX Perpetual Contract Fee Breakdown

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Perpetual contracts have become one of the most popular trading instruments in the digital asset space, offering traders the ability to gain leveraged exposure without an expiry date. But a common question among both beginners and experienced traders is: how much does a perpetual contract cost each day? Understanding the fee structure—especially on leading platforms like OKX—is essential for maximizing profitability and managing risk.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the daily costs associated with perpetual contracts, focusing on trading fees, funding rates, and delivery fees where applicable. We’ll also explore how OKX structures its fee model, including tiered pricing and funding mechanisms, so you can trade smarter and more efficiently.

Understanding Perpetual Contracts

A perpetual contract is a type of derivative that mimics the behavior of a traditional futures contract but without a set expiration date. This allows traders to hold positions indefinitely, provided they meet margin requirements and account for periodic funding costs.

Because perpetual contracts are priced to track the underlying spot market, platforms use a mechanism called funding rates to align the contract price with the index price. This is one of the primary "daily costs" (or sometimes rebates) associated with holding a position.

👉 Discover how funding rates work and how to trade with lower fees today.

Daily Costs of Holding a Perpetual Contract

While there’s no fixed “daily deduction” in dollar terms, several cost components can affect your position each day. These include:

  1. Trading Fees (Taker and Maker)
  2. Funding Payments
  3. Delivery Fees (if applicable)

Let’s examine each in detail.

1. Trading Fees: Opening and Closing Positions

Every time you open or close a position, the exchange charges a transaction fee. These fees are deducted in the base currency of the contract (e.g., BTC for BTC/USDT contracts).

Fee Structure on OKX

These fees apply to both opening and closing trades.

Calculation Formula

Fee = (Number of Contracts × Contract Value / Execution Price) × Fee Rate

Example 1: BTC Perpetual Contract

Opening Fee:
(200 × 100 / 5,000) × 0.04% = 0.0016 BTC

Closing Fee:
(200 × 100 / 6,000) × 0.02% = 0.000667 BTC

Total Trading Cost: ~0.002267 BTC

Example 2: EOS Perpetual Contract

Opening Fee:
(200 × 10 / 2) × 0.04% = 0.4 EOS

Closing Fee:
(200 × 10 / 3) × 0.02% = 0.133334 EOS

Total: ~0.533 EOS

These fees are one-time costs but accumulate with frequent trading.

2. Funding Payments: The Real Daily Cost

Unlike traditional futures, perpetual contracts use funding payments every 8 hours (three times per day) to keep the contract price aligned with the spot price.

How Funding Works

Funding Rate Formula

Funding Payment = Position Nominal Value × Funding Rate

Where:

Interest Rate Component

OKX uses a base interest rate of 0.01% per funding period (equivalent to 0.03% daily), assuming higher yield on cash than on crypto holdings.

Note: For LINK/USDT, LTC/USDT, and BNB/USDT pairs, the interest rate is set to 0%.

Premium Index

During volatile markets, the contract price may deviate from the index. The premium index helps correct this by adjusting the funding rate:

Premium Index (P) = [Max(0, Impact Buy Price - Mark Price) - Max(0, Mark Price - Impact Sell Price)] / Spot Price

👉 Learn how to predict funding rates and reduce your holding costs.

3. Delivery Fees (For Quarterly or Delivery Contracts)

While perpetual contracts don’t expire, some users confuse them with quarterly futures, which do require delivery.

If you hold a non-perpetual contract past expiry, the system auto-settles your position and charges a delivery fee:

Example: BTC Delivery Fee

Fee = (20 × 100) / 1,000 × 0.015% = **0.0003 BTC**

This is a one-time cost only if you fail to close before expiry.

OKX Perpetual Contract Fee Tiers

OKX offers tiered fee structures based on your trading volume or OKB holdings, which can significantly reduce your costs.

How Tiering Works

Your fee level is determined by the highest qualifying tier across:

You only need to meet one category to unlock lower fees across all products.

Example:

→ You qualify for VIP 3 rates across all services

Higher tiers mean lower taker and maker fees—sometimes as low as 0.01% maker and 0.03% taker.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Is there a daily fee for holding a perpetual contract?

No fixed daily fee exists, but you may pay (or receive) funding payments every 8 hours if you hold a position during settlement periods.

Q2: How are perpetual contract fees calculated?

Fees include:

Q3: Does OKX charge fees in cryptocurrency?

Yes. Fees are deducted in the base currency of the contract—e.g., BTC for BTC/USDT contracts.

Q4: Can I earn from funding rates?

Yes! If the funding rate is negative and you’re in a long position, you receive payments from short holders.

Q5: How can I reduce my trading fees on OKX?

Increase your 30-day trading volume or hold more OKB to qualify for higher VIP tiers with reduced fees.

Q6: Are funding rates predictable?

They fluctuate based on market demand but tend to be more stable during low volatility. Monitoring historical rates can help anticipate trends.

Final Thoughts

So, how much does a perpetual contract cost daily? The answer depends on your trading frequency, position size, holding duration, and market conditions.

Key takeaways:

Understanding these components empowers you to make informed decisions and optimize your trading strategy.

👉 Start trading perpetual contracts with transparent fees and advanced tools today.