Whether you trade Japanese Yen, E-minis or any of the many CME Group products, the CME Exchange fees and Globex fees will likely to be the most expensive part of your transaction – probably greater than your commissions and platform charges.
If you’re a high volume trader you should look into qualifying for “member rates.” Member rates are available for all types of traders and make sense for anyone trading 1,000 contracts or more per month. There are several options:
Purchase a Membership – CME has four categories of memberships with an open market place CME Seat Prices. The application process costs approximately $2,500 and takes perhaps six weeks from start to finish.
Lease a Membership – All classes of CME memberships are available for lease. Lease rates are variable and can be terminated upon 30 days notice. The application process costs approximately $2,500 and takes perhaps six weeks from start to finish.
Electronic Corporate Member (ECM 106.R) – The CME has for the past several years offered a reduced Exchange rate to corporations and LLCs that trade an average of at least 50 sides per day during each quarter. The ECM rates are available to a single trader or a proprietary group. The application fee is $2,000.
Incentive Programs – CME also offers a number of “Incentive Programs,” directed at markets in different parts of the world. The incentive programs offer fee waivers or reductions for new traders in locations where CME has yet to make inroads.
For more information about these membership or incentive programs, please visit the member section of the CME Group website.