How Kalshi markets settle
Settlement is where a market pays out, and it is also where careless traders get burned. Every Kalshi market resolves by a precise, published set of rules, and the single best habit you can build is reading them before you trade.
Here is how it works.
Every market has explicit rules
Each market's detail page spells out exactly how it settles: the precise condition for Yes, the official data source used to determine the outcome, and the resolution date. Two markets that sound similar can settle on subtly different criteria, so the wording matters.
Resolution sources
Kalshi ties each market to a defined source of truth, such as an official report or a named data provider, rather than leaving the outcome to interpretation. Knowing the source tells you what actually decides your trade and when that information becomes available.
Automatic payout
When the outcome is determined, contracts settle automatically: $1 per winning contract paid into your balance, $0 for losing ones, with no settlement fee. You do not need to do anything to collect on a winning position held to settlement.
Why reading the rules pays off
The most avoidable losses come from assuming a market means something slightly different from what its rules say, including edge cases like ties, postponements, or how a borderline result is graded. Spend the minute to read the resolution criteria every time; it is the cheapest insurance on the platform.