VIP program
A VIP program is an exchange's structured package for high-volume traders — tiered fee discounts plus service perks like higher limits, dedicated support, and negotiated terms at the top end.
Where a VIP level is a single rung, the program is the whole ladder plus everything attached to it. Typical structure: published tiers with volume and/or balance requirements, each granting lower maker/taker rates; service benefits stacking up the ladder (withdrawal limits, account managers, API rate limits); and at the highest tiers, individually negotiated pricing that never appears in public schedules.
Exchanges also poach: most run "VIP matching" programs that grant your tier from a rival exchange on arrival, which tells you how valuable sustained high-volume flow is to them.
The program's benefits are real for traders who qualify naturally. The classic mistake is treating VIP status as a goal — generating volume to keep a discount inverts the economics, spending more in fees to save less. Rebates are the volume-agnostic complement: the same 50–67% share applies at every tier, and a VIP trader's rebate applies to their discounted rates, stacking both benefits.
Discounts vs rebates, honestly compared →