A regular KuCoin user is VIP0: spot (Class A coins) is 0.1% maker and 0.1% taker, with 20% off when you pay fees in KCS; USDT-margined perpetual futures are 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker. The futures taker rate stays at 0.06% from VIP0 through VIP4 and only drops to 0.048% at VIP5, reaching 0.025% at VIP12. There are 13 levels (LV0 to LV12) shared by spot and futures, and five routes to qualify: KCS holdings, 30-day spot volume, 30-day futures volume, 30-day average net borrowing, or account assets. Meeting any one is enough (official KuCoin VIP page data, checked 2026-10-17).
This guide sets out KuCoin's spot and futures VIP fee tables, the thresholds for all five routes, the difference between Class A, B and C coins, when the KCS discount doesn't apply, the quarterly downgrade protection, and how to apply for VIP+2 if you're already VIP elsewhere. It ends with the effective rate once a rebate is added on top of the VIP rate. VIP takes volume or holdings to earn, while the rebate is set the moment you sign up: register on KuCoin with our code FEEOTTER and get a 60% rebate (all paid automatically by KuCoin), 3× the 20% most codes give.
Key points
- VIP0 rates: spot Class A 0.1%/0.1% (0.08% with KCS), futures 0.02%/0.06%.
- One level for both markets: spot and futures aren't graded separately; the five routes are assessed independently and the highest result wins.
- Futures taker is flat for five levels: 0.06% from VIP0 to VIP4; VIP4 went back from 0.053% to 0.06% in May 2026.
- KCS discount is spot and margin only: 20% off, taker only at VIP8 to VIP12; there is no KCS discount on futures.
- Downgrade protection: at VIP5 to VIP12 you drop at most one level every 30 days within a quarter, with a floor.
KuCoin VIP thresholds: five routes, any one counts
| Level | KCS held | 30-day spot volume (USDT) | 30-day futures volume (USDT) | 30-day avg net borrowing (USDT) | Account assets (USDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LV0 | < 1,000 | < 1M | < 5M | < 200K | < 1M |
| LV1 | ≥ 1,000 | ≥ 1M | ≥ 5M | ≥ 200K | n/a |
| LV2 | ≥ 10,000 | ≥ 3M | ≥ 8M | ≥ 400K | n/a |
| LV3 | ≥ 20,000 | ≥ 6M | ≥ 16M | ≥ 600K | n/a |
| LV4 | ≥ 30,000 | ≥ 18M | ≥ 40M | ≥ 800K | n/a |
| LV5 | ≥ 40,000 | ≥ 55M | ≥ 60M | ≥ 1M | ≥ 1M |
| LV6 | ≥ 50,000 | ≥ 100M | ≥ 120M | ≥ 2M | n/a |
| LV7 | ≥ 60,000 | ≥ 180M | ≥ 200M | ≥ 5M | n/a |
| LV8 | ≥ 70,000 | ≥ 250M | ≥ 300M | ≥ 8M | ≥ 3M |
| LV9 | ≥ 80,000 | ≥ 350M | ≥ 400M | ≥ 10M | n/a |
| LV10 | ≥ 90,000 | ≥ 550M | ≥ 600M | ≥ 13M | n/a |
| LV11 | ≥ 100,000 | ≥ 750M | ≥ 800M | ≥ 15M | n/a |
| LV12 | ≥ 150,000 | ≥ 950M | ≥ 1B | ≥ 20M | n/a |
Sources: the official level data loaded by the KuCoin VIP page and How to Become a KuCoin VIP, checked 2026-10-17. KuCoin states that "meeting any single requirement is sufficient", and routes can't be added together. Account assets only lead to LV5 (1M to under 3M USDT) and LV8 (3M USDT or more). For net borrowing, lending and Crypto Loan borrowing count at 100% and margin borrowing at 20%; a snapshot is taken daily at 23:59:59 (UTC+8) and upgrades apply at 08:00 (UTC+8) the next day (KuCoin net borrowing rules).
For most retail traders the nearest route is holding 1,000 KCS for LV1, but LV1 only cuts spot maker from 0.1% to 0.095% and leaves the futures taker rate unchanged.
KuCoin spot and futures VIP fee table
| Level | Spot Class A maker/taker | Futures maker/taker |
|---|---|---|
| LV0 | 0.100% / 0.100% | 0.020% / 0.060% |
| LV1 | 0.095% / 0.100% | 0.018% / 0.060% |
| LV2 | 0.090% / 0.100% | 0.015% / 0.060% |
| LV3 | 0.075% / 0.090% | 0.010% / 0.060% |
| LV4 | 0.055% / 0.075% | 0.008% / 0.060% |
| LV5 | 0.035% / 0.055% | 0.006% / 0.048% |
| LV6 | 0.025% / 0.050% | 0.004% / 0.043% |
| LV7 | 0.015% / 0.042% | 0.002% / 0.039% |
| LV8 | 0% / 0.042% | 0% / 0.036% |
| LV9 | 0% / 0.040% | 0% / 0.033% |
| LV10 | 0% / 0.030% | 0% / 0.030% |
| LV11 | 0% / 0.028% | 0% / 0.028% |
| LV12 | 0% / 0.025% | 0% / 0.025% |
Source: official fee data on the KuCoin VIP page, checked 2026-10-17; the futures VIP0 rate matches BTCUSDT (XBTUSDTM) in the KuCoin futures API. Recent changes: in March 2026 negative maker fees at futures VIP9 to VIP12 became 0%; on April 30, 2026 spot VIP8 to VIP12 dropped negative maker fees for 0%; on May 18, 2026 the futures VIP4 taker went from 0.053% to 0.06% (KuCoin announcement). The Help Center article VIP Fee Structure (updated May 2026) still shows 0.053% for VIP4 futures taker and 0.045% for VIP6 spot taker, which differ from the VIP page today. We use the VIP page; for the VIP6 change we found no official announcement.
Class A, B and C coins: up to 3× the fee at the same level
KuCoin groups spot pairs into Classes A, B and C by the base coin, and charges the fee in the quote coin (KCS/USDT uses KCS's class and the fee is paid in USDT). According to the official VIP Fee Structure article, Class B costs 2× and Class C 3× the Class A rate:
| Level | Class A | Class B | Class C |
|---|---|---|---|
| LV0 | 0.1% / 0.1% | 0.2% / 0.2% | 0.3% / 0.3% |
| LV7 | 0.015% / 0.042% | 0.03% / 0.084% | 0.045% / 0.126% |
| LV12 | 0% / 0.025% | 0% / 0.05% | 0% / 0.075% |
Sources: KuCoin VIP Fee Structure and the KuCoin fee page, checked 2026-10-17. The live VIP page data only lists Class A, so Class B and C come from the Help Center table. In KuCoin's public spot API, BTC, ETH, SOL, DOGE and KCS against USDT are all in category 1. Check a pair's class before trading: smaller coins in Class C pay 3× the fee of the majors.
Paying fees with KCS: 20% off, with exceptions
- Scope: spot and margin only, 20% off; at VIP8 to VIP12 only taker fees are discounted. The official pages don't mention any KCS discount for futures.
- Turning it on: on the web, click your avatar → User Profile and enable "Pay Fees with KCS", or use "Fee Discounts" at the top right of the trading panel; in the app, tap the personal icon at the top left → "Pay Fees with KCS". KCS must sit in the Funding or Trading account, or in KCS Staking (KuCoin Help Center).
- When it doesn't apply: no discount when the rate is below 0.025% for Class A, 0.05% for Class B or 0.075% for Class C, or when you don't hold enough KCS (KuCoin announcement). Going by that rule, the LV7 Class A maker rate of 0.015% is already below the threshold, so we read it as getting no further discount.
- Actual discount: KuCoin notes that price moves while converting to KCS can make the real discount smaller than 20%.
When levels update, and whether you can drop
- Rolling 30 days: levels use the last 30 days of data; spot and margin volume is tallied daily between 23:00 and 02:00 UTC, and KuCoin notes that level or fee changes may take effect at different times.
- Quarterly level shield (VIP5 to VIP12): within a quarter you drop at most one level every 30 days and never below a floor: VIP5 to VIP8 keep at least VIP5, VIP9 keeps VIP6, VIP10 keeps VIP7, VIP11 keeps VIP8, VIP12 keeps VIP9. With under 30 days left in the quarter, the drop waits until quarter end (KuCoin level shield).
- Already VIP elsewhere: submit your VIP level at another exchange or your 30-day volume, and KuCoin gives the matching level plus two (VIP+2); the page says benefits apply immediately (KuCoin VIP+2).
- Market maker program: separate S, A and B tiers, with spot maker as low as −0.012% and futures maker as low as −0.007%, by application (KuCoin market maker page).
What the rebate does after a VIP upgrade
The rebate percentage doesn't change with VIP; it applies to the fee you actually pay, so a lower rate means a smaller refund and a lower net cost. Our own calculation at the 60% automatic rebate, assuming it is computed on the fee actually charged:
| Case | Listed rate | Net after KuCoin's automatic 60% |
|---|---|---|
| VIP0 futures taker | 0.060% | 0.024% |
| VIP0 futures maker | 0.020% | 0.008% |
| VIP0 spot Class A (with KCS) | 0.080% | 0.032% |
| VIP5 futures taker | 0.048% | 0.0192% |
In money terms: 2 million USDT of futures volume a month, all taker, costs 1,200 USDT at VIP0; 720 USDT comes back and you pay 480 USDT net. Reaching VIP5 by volume takes 60 million USDT of futures volume in 30 days, 30 times this example. At ordinary volumes, the referral rebate saves more than climbing VIP levels.
One official rule matters for large traders. KuCoin's September 2025 affiliate program announcement says zero-fee trades earn no commission and neither do invitees above a certain level; one passage says Level 3 or above and another says LV4 or above. It also says that when the referrer's commission rate becomes 0, the invitee's cashback becomes 0 too. The 0% maker rate from VIP8 up leaves nothing to refund anyway. If you are close to LV3, ask support whether the rebate will continue (KuCoin affiliate program announcement).
If you're already VIP on another exchange or trade large volumes, contact Fee Otter support and we'll help you reach the exchange; the actual benefits are decided by the exchange.
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