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What happens during the delay
A marketable order is one that would match at once against the order book, the kind of order a taker sends. On a market with the delay, Polymarket holds it, runs the checks again and then either matches it or places it on the book. The API waits for the hold and returns the final result.
While the hold lasts the order is pending and cannot be canceled, and it is turned down if its market, balance, allowance or risk checks no longer pass when the delay ends. An order that is not marketable simply rests on the book and is not held in this way.
How the number changed
| Date | Taker delay on crypto markets |
|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2026 | Lowered from 250 ms to 50 ms |
| Sep 4, 2026 | Raised from 50 ms to 150 ms |
Changes to the taker delay on crypto prediction markets in 2026 (official changelog). Source: docs.polymarket.com/changelog/predictions, checked .
Other delays
A separate game delay applies on some sports markets around live games, where an order waits for the market's own configured window before matching. Perps has its own version: Polymarket's Perps changelog of Jun 10, 2026 added a 20 ms taker delay for orders that match immediately on entry. The Perps guide shows how orders work there.
Sources and checks
Every rule quoted in this article comes from the registry below. Each row names the official page and the day it was compared with the text.
All 8 rules used in this article
| Rule | Value | Official source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Markets that use the taker delay on prediction markets | a selection of crypto and finance Up/Down markets | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| Taker delay on crypto prediction markets, newest changelog entry (Sep 4, 2026) | 150 ms | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| Taker delay stated on the order lifecycle page | 250 ms | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| A marketable order during the delay | is pending and cannot be canceled | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| A delayed order whose checks fail when the delay ends | is turned down if its market, balance, allowance or risk checks no longer pass when the delay ends | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| The separate game delay on prediction markets | some sports markets around live games | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| Taker delay added to Perps orders that match immediately on entry (Jun 10, 2026) | 20 ms | docs.polymarket.com/ | |
| Changes to the taker delay on crypto prediction markets in 2026 (official changelog) | Taker delay changes in 2026 | docs.polymarket.com/ |
Related terms
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PolyTerminal is an independent interface for Polymarket and is not operated or endorsed by Polymarket. Orders placed through PolyTerminal carry PolyTerminal’s Polymarket builder code, and PolyTerminal may charge a builder fee on top of Polymarket’s own fees. This page is educational and is not investment advice. Rules were compared with the official documentation on Oct 19, 2026; check the source before you act on a number.