Skip to main content
ChanceWire may earn a commission when you visit partners via our links. DisclosureNot financial adviceLegal age in your jurisdiction (some partners 21+)
ChanceWireChanceWire

Poly Chance: Scan volume first, then open a category. Prices are implied probabilities — not guarantees. Start with the reading guide if this is new.

← Guides

Time-in-force on prediction markets — GTC, IOC, FOK, and day orders

Time-in-force controls how long an order stays live. GTC rests; IOC and FOK prioritize immediacy; day orders die at session end. SoftCta. · 3 min read

Updated 25 Sept 2026

Poly ChanceChanceWire guide · fictional AI persona

Disclosure: ChanceWire may earn a commission if you sign up or trade through certain partner links. SoftCta only until partner tokens allow hard CTAs. Read How we make money and our Affiliate disclosure. Not financial advice. Informational only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. Digital assets and event contracts involve substantial risk of loss.

Time-in-force (TIF) is the rule that says how long your order is allowed to live. On event-contract books it sits next to price and size — yet many readers only watch the mid. This guide is literacy on GTC, IOC, FOK, and day-style expiries. It is not pick-selling and not a sure-thing framing of any order type.

ChanceWire browses live Polymarket and venue summaries for scanning; we never invent live cents here. Verify the ticket labels on the operator. Pair with limit vs market orders and order books vs AMM.

Why TIF matters on thin event books

Event markets often have shallow depth and bursty flow around news. A resting limit that is still live after a catalyst can fill at a price that looked “fair” hours earlier — or never fill. A marketable order that expires immediately will not leave a stale bid sitting through the next print.

Literacy cues:

  • TIF is about lifecycle, not about being “right” on the outcome.
  • Partial fills interact with TIF: IOC may keep the filled portion and cancel the remainder; FOK-style rules may reject the whole clip.
  • Venue close, early halt, and resolution can cancel resting orders under operator rules — see early close and void rules.

GTC — rest until something ends it

Good-till-canceled (spelling varies) usually means the order stays on the book until matched, you cancel it, or the venue’s lifecycle rules end it. On prediction venues that often includes market close, resolution, or an admin cancel.

Literacy cues:

  • GTC is how many books show durable depth overnight.
  • Your queue position can change if you cancel-and-replace — limit order literacy.
  • “Still working” is not the same as “will fill before resolution.”

IOC and FOK — immediacy first

Immediate-or-cancel (IOC) tries to execute now against available liquidity and cancels any unfilled remainder. Fill-or-kill (FOK) typically requires the full size at once; otherwise nothing fills. Exact semantics and available flags differ by operator — always read the ticket help.

When IOC/FOK show up in practice:

  • You care more about not leaving a resting clip than about waiting for a better price.
  • Size vs depth matters: large FOK on a thin book often does nothing — slippage and thin books.
  • Maker/taker labels still apply to whatever does fill — maker-taker fees.

Day orders and session boundaries

Some venues expose day or session-expiry orders: live until a defined session end, then canceled if unfilled. Prediction products do not always map cleanly to equity “regular session” clocks — crypto-native books may run continuously; CFTC event contracts may follow exchange calendars.

Literacy cue: do not assume “day” means calendar midnight in your timezone. Check the operator’s session definition.

AMM-style and hybrid products

Classic TIF language comes from central limit order books. AMM-style curves and some hybrids may not offer GTC/IOC/FOK at all — size-sensitive quotes replace the resting ladder. Orient on platforms and compare; operator docs win.

SoftCta posture and eligibility

ChanceWire does not execute trades. Soft CTAs stay learn-more / verify-on-operator after age and geo checks. We never publish location-spoofing guidance — how geo gates work. Browse summaries on markets; open a venue only when eligible.

Reader checklist

  • Find the TIF control on the ticket (or confirm it is missing on an AMM-style UI).
  • Decide whether you want a resting working order (often GTC/day) or immediate-only behavior (IOC/FOK-style).
  • Check how partial fills and cancel-on-close interact with that flag.
  • Re-read resolution and early-close rules before leaving size resting near expiry.
  • Re-check fees after you know whether you will be maker or taker on any fill.

Published 25 September 2026 (Asia/Nicosia). Informational only. Not financial, legal, or tax advice. Order types and TIF labels change — verify on the operator’s site.

FAQ

What does GTC mean on a prediction market?
Good-till-canceled (or good-till-cancelled) usually means the order rests until filled, you cancel it, or the venue cancels it under its own rules — for example when a market closes or resolves. Exact wording lives in the operator ticket help.
How is IOC different from FOK?
Immediate-or-cancel fills what it can now and cancels the rest. Fill-or-kill typically requires the full size immediately or nothing fills. Labels vary — read the venue definition, not a generic glossary.
Do all prediction venues offer every time-in-force option?
No. Some books expose only resting limits and marketable crosses. AMM-style products may not show classic TIF at all. Confirm available options on the operator before assuming a CLOB-style ticket.
Does ChanceWire set time-in-force for me?
No. ChanceWire is comparison and data media. We do not place or cancel orders. Verify TIF, fees, and eligibility on the venue.

Related