Trading-Journal Partial Fills in Crypto: When the Common Rule Produces a Misleading Result
'Use limit orders to save fees' is often right. With partial fills, the unfilled remainder can cost more than the fee saved.
Short answer
Limit orders earn maker fees but may fill partially. If the rest is then chased with a market order or never filled while price runs, the cost shows up as worse average price or missed profit — not as fees. A journal that tracks only fees will show limit orders as cheaper. Track fill rate, average price versus the price when you decided, and outcomes of unfilled portions to see the true cost.
Worked example
| Step | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker fee saved | ≈ 0.03% of filled part |
| Remainder chased | Slippage + taker fee |
| Remainder unfilled | Missed move |
| Fee-only view | Looks cheaper |
| True cost | Price vs decision price |
What to record
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Decision price | Benchmark |
| Fill rate | Partial fills |
| Average fill price | Execution cost |
| Remainder outcome | Chased / cancelled |
Partial-fill arithmetic: Trading-Journal Partial Fills: A Worked Crypto Example With Fees Included.
Conclusion
Related: Trading-Journal Partial Fills: A Worked Crypto Example With Fees Included, Trading-Journal Fee Reconciliation in Crypto: When the Common Rule Produces a Misleading Result.
Plan the same calculation with ChartsPod's position planner.
Open the ChartsPod terminalLimit orders earn maker fees but may fill partially.
See Trading-Journal Partial Fills in Crypto on live data in the free ChartsPod terminal.
Open the ChartsPod terminalQuestions readers ask
Are limit orders always cheaper?
Not when partial fills are chased or missed.
What should I measure?
Price versus decision price, fill rate.
Do fees capture it?
No.
Sources and methodology
Arithmetic uses standard sizing formulas. Fee rates (0.05% taker, 0.02% maker), slippage and funding values are illustrative; check your venue's schedule. Liquidation figures are simplified approximations; exchanges calculate them with their own maintenance-margin rules (see Bybit's documentation).
- Bybit: Liquidation process — mark price and margin modes.
- ChartsPod: product overview, pricing and FAQ — free terminal, venues, modules, no order placement; checked 17 Oct 2026.
This article explains research tools and workflows. It is not financial advice, does not recommend buying or selling any asset and does not predict prices. Crypto derivatives carry a risk of rapid and total loss of margin.
CHARTSPOD EDITORIAL EDITION · RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ONLY · NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE.