specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Betfair
providerId: betfair
created: '2026-07-03'
modified: '2026-07-03'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Betting Exchange
- Sports Betting
- Market Data
- Plans
description: >-
  Betfair does not price the Exchange API on a per-call subscription. Access is
  gated by an Application Key. A Delayed App Key is free and returns
  delayed price data - it is intended for development and functional testing. A
  Live App Key returns real-time data and is required for actual betting; Betfair
  charges a one-off activation fee (commonly cited as GBP 299 for personal use;
  a higher fee, often cited as GBP 499, applies to vendor/software keys). Once
  live, the economic cost of using the exchange is the market commission Betfair
  charges on net winnings (a market base rate, typically around 5% on the .com
  exchange, adjustable by market base rate and the customer's discount rate),
  not a per-request API fee. Betfair also monitors data usage and may apply Data
  Request Charges to accounts whose weighted API data usage is high relative to
  their betting activity. The Historic Data service is priced separately by
  purchased package (a free Basic tier plus paid Advanced/Pro tiers).
notes: >-
  Activation fees and commission rates vary by jurisdiction, exchange
  (.com / Italy / Spain / Australia), product, and over time. Verify current
  App Key activation fees, commission/market base rates, and Historic Data
  package prices on Betfair's developer and pricing pages during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://support.developer.betfair.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003864531-Are-there-any-costs-associated-with-API-access
- https://support.developer.betfair.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003860331-How-do-I-activate-my-Live-App-Key
- https://developer.betfair.com/
- https://historicdata.betfair.com/
plans:
- id: betfair-delayed-app-key
  name: Delayed Application Key
  type: free
  description: >-
    Free Application Key for development and functional testing. Returns
    delayed exchange price data (a variable delay applied to snapshots). No
    activation fee. Use for building and testing against the Betting, Accounts,
    and Heartbeat APIs before going live.
  entries:
  - label: Delayed App Key
    name: delayed_app_key
    type: flat
    metric: key
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: lifetime
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: free
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Betting API (delayed prices)
  - name: Accounts API
  - name: Heartbeat API
  - name: Development / Functional Testing
- id: betfair-live-app-key
  name: Live Application Key
  type: paid
  description: >-
    Real-time Application Key required for live betting and real-time price
    data, including the Exchange Stream API. Requires a one-off activation fee.
    After activation there is no recurring per-call API charge; costs are driven
    by exchange commission on winnings.
  entries:
  - label: Live App Key Activation (personal)
    name: live_app_key_activation_personal
    type: flat
    metric: activation
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: lifetime
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: one-off ~GBP 299 (verify current fee)
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: Live App Key Activation (vendor/software)
    name: live_app_key_activation_vendor
    type: flat
    metric: activation
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: lifetime
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: one-off ~GBP 499 (verify current fee)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Real-Time Betting API
  - name: Exchange Stream API
  - name: Live Prices
- id: betfair-commission
  name: Exchange Commission
  type: usage
  description: >-
    The ongoing economic cost of trading on the exchange. Betfair charges
    commission on net winnings in a market, computed from the market base rate
    and the customer's discount rate. This is a wagering cost, not an API call
    fee, but it is the dominant cost of operating an automated strategy.
  entries:
  - label: Market Commission on Net Winnings
    name: market_commission
    type: usage
    metric: winnings
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: perMarket
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: typically ~5% base rate on the .com exchange (varies by market/jurisdiction)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Market Base Rate
  - name: Discount Rate
- id: betfair-historic-data
  name: Historic Data Packages
  type: paid
  description: >-
    Historical exchange market data purchased as packages via
    historicdata.betfair.com and then downloaded through the Historic Data API.
    A free Basic tier exists alongside paid Advanced/Pro tiers with richer data.
  entries:
  - label: Basic Historic Data
    name: historic_basic
    type: flat
    metric: package
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: lifetime
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: free (Basic plan)
    userMultiplied: false
  - label: Advanced / Pro Historic Data
    name: historic_advanced
    type: usage
    metric: package
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: lifetime
    geo: global
    unit: 1
    price: per-package purchase (see historicdata.betfair.com)
    userMultiplied: false
  elements:
  - name: Purchased Data Packages
  - name: Advanced/Pro Market Data
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com