Cboe Options Updates Fees and Incentive Programs Immediately
Published Date: 5/14/2026
Notice
Summary
Cboe Exchange is updating its fees for certain orders in Automated Improvement Mechanism (AIM) auctions, tweaking its Customer Volume Incentive Program and Affiliated Volume Plan, and clarifying how it describes historical trading data. These changes affect traders using Cboe Options and could impact their costs and rewards starting immediately. The goal? Make trading fees fairer and programs clearer for everyone involved.
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Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 3 costs, 1 mixed.
Market-Maker AIM Fee Cut in Equity/ETF/ETN
Starting May 1, 2026, Market-Maker Simple AIM Contra orders in equity, ETF, and ETN options will be charged $0.07 per contract instead of the current $0.23 per contract. This aligns Market-Maker fees with the $0.07 fee already charged to Non-Market Makers for similar orders.
VIX AIM Surcharge for Market-Makers
Starting May 1, 2026, the Exchange will add a $0.20 per contract surcharge for Market-Maker AIM (including SAM, FLEX AIM and FLEX SAM) Contra orders in VIX options. The surcharge is intended to bring Market-Maker VIX AIM fees closer to the $0.40 per contract charged to certain Non-Market Maker participants.
Higher Electronic AIM Fee in RUT Options
Starting May 1, 2026, fee code BK will apply to electronic orders (including AIM) in RUT options at $0.55 per contract. This effectively raises the fee for Non-Customer, Non-Market Maker, Non-Firm AIM orders in RUT from $0.25 per contract to $0.55 per contract (for electronic AIM orders).
New VIP Tier 5 and Credit Rates
Effective May 1, 2026, Cboe's Customer Volume Incentive Program (VIP) adds Tier 5 for firms whose qualifying volume exceeds 5.00% of national customer volume. Under Tier 5, VIP credits are $0.17 for Simple Non-AIM, $0.14 for Simple AIM, $0.25 for Complex Non-AIM, and $0.24 for Complex AIM contracts. Tier 4 is adjusted to above 4.00% and up to 5.00%.
New Complex-Rate Eligibility Thresholds
Also effective May 1, 2026, the VIP's requirement to earn Complex credit rates changes: firms must have at least 32% of prior month's qualifying VIP volume in Simple trades for Tiers 1–3, and at least 38% for Tiers 4 and 5. If a firm does not meet these percentages, its Complex customer volume receives the Simple rate instead.
AVP Tier 5 Affiliate Credits
Effective May 1, 2026, the Affiliated Volume Plan (AVP) will include the new VIP Tier 5 and provide a Market-Maker Affiliate Access Credit of 25% and a Liquidity Provider Sliding Scale Credit of 35% for Tier 5. All other tiers' AVP credits remain unchanged.
Exclude Market-Maker Simple AIM Volume From Sliding Scale
The Exchange proposes (effective May 1, 2026) to amend the Fees Schedule footnote to exclude volume executed via Market-Maker Simple AIM Contra orders in equity, ETF, and ETN products from counting toward the Liquidity Provider Sliding Scale program.
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