P2P fees explained: what you are actually charged
Maker and taker, platform fees, transfer charges and the costs merchants forget. Where every naira, shilling and cedi of your margin goes.
Fees are not one thing
Merchants talk about the fee as if there is one. There are several, they are charged at different points, and only some of them are shown to you clearly.
Where the money goes
- Platform fee on the trade, which differs depending on whether you posted the ad or took someone else's.
- Transfer charges on the payment rail, which are small individually and significant across a month.
- Withdrawal or network fees when you move crypto between wallets or exchanges.
- The spread you gave up to trade quickly, which is a real cost even though nobody bills you for it.
Posting your own ads usually costs less
On most platforms, posting an ad and waiting is cheaper than taking an existing one. It also takes longer. That is the trade, and which side is right depends on whether your constraint is capital or time.
The only number that matters
Gross profit is a comforting figure and a misleading one. What you keep is what is left after every one of the above, and merchants are routinely surprised by the gap when they see it computed properly for the first time.
P2Proof computes profit after fees on every trade, per exchange, so the number you look at is the one that is actually yours.