How to Cash Out Early on Polymarket & Kalshi

You don’t have to wait for a prediction market to end. On both Polymarket and Kalshi you can sell your shares at any time before the outcome is decided, to lock in a profit or cut a loss. This guide explains how selling early works, why the price you get may differ from what you see, and how winnings are paid once a market settles, based on each platform’s help centre as checked in October 2026.

How selling early works

Selling is just a trade in the other direction: someone else buys your shares. So the price you get is what buyers are willing to pay right now, the best bid, not the last traded price or the midpoint shown on the market.

You hold	Bought at	Best bid now	Sell 100 shares
100 Yes	40¢ ($40)	65¢	About $65 before fees: a $25 profit
100 Yes	40¢ ($40)	22¢	About $22 before fees: an $18 loss

A taker fee applies if your sell order fills immediately. A resting limit sell order pays no fee on Polymarket and, on most markets, none on Kalshi.

Selling on Polymarket

Market sell: sells now at the current bid. If there aren’t enough buyers, whatever can’t fill straight away is cancelled, so on a thin market you may sell only part of your position.
Limit sell: you set the lowest price you’ll accept, and it fills only if and when a buyer meets it.
Polymarket US: you can close a position at any time in the app, and the proceeds go straight to your cash balance.

Selling on Kalshi

Quick order sale: sells at the current market price, immediately.
Limit order sale: fills only when a buyer bids your price or higher.
Auto sell (take profit): set a target price after you buy, and Kalshi places a resting sell order that can fill even when the app is closed.

More terms in our Kalshi glossary.

What if nobody is buying?

On thin or nearly decided markets there may be few bids, or only very low ones. You then have three choices: accept the low bid, place a limit sell and wait, or hold until the market settles. A share in an outcome that has effectively happened is often worth holding to settlement rather than selling at 97¢, but that’s your call, and the price reflects the small chance it doesn’t.

After the market settles

Polymarket (main exchange): winning shares can be redeemed for 1 pUSD each, with no deadline. If a claim fails, Polymarket’s help centre has a troubleshooting guide.
Polymarket US: the clearing house updates balances automatically, at $1 or $0 per contract.
Kalshi: winning contracts are paid automatically to your cash balance once Kalshi finalises the result, usually within a few hours. Kalshi suggests contacting support if a market hasn’t settled after about 12 hours. Combos settle 1–12 hours after their last leg resolves.

To move the money out, see Polymarket or Kalshi deposits and withdrawals.

FAQ

Can you cash out early on Polymarket?

Yes. You can sell your shares at any time before the market resolves, at the price buyers are paying.

Can you sell early on Kalshi?

Yes, with a quick order (immediate) or a limit order (at your price), and you can set an automatic take-profit sell.

Why did I get less than the price shown?

The price shown is usually the midpoint or the last trade. Selling fills at the best bid, and large orders can fill at several lower prices. Fees also apply to immediate fills.