Before using Polymarket, identify whether you are looking at Polymarket US or Polymarket International. They have separate documentation and account workflows. A wallet guide for International is not a universal Polymarket sign-up guide.
Choose the applicable product
The US overview describes its fiat-based regulated product. Start from Polymarket US and its account instructions if that is the product you are eligible to use.
International’s geographic restrictions include the United States and prohibit restriction bypasses. Loading a page, holding a wallet or following an influencer’s link does not establish permission to trade. This guide does not provide a VPN route.
Read the matching funding instructions
For the US product, the funding guide documents bank, card and other supported methods. It distinguishes instant buying power from a fully cleared deposit and requires funds to come from an account in your name.
For International, the exchange-upgrade notice describes pUSD collateral after the April 28 upgrade. Old instructions that assume USDC.e remains the trading collateral should not be copied into a current workflow. Follow the official interface for the supported asset, network and destination; this article does not prescribe a transfer or test a funded account.
Understand a quote before an order
In a hypothetical $1 binary contract, buying 100 shares at 40c costs $40 before fees. A winning settlement returns $100 and a losing settlement returns $0. The price is a 40% gross break-even rate, not a verified true probability.
A last trade at 40c, a 39c bid and a 41c ask describe different things. A purchase needs an executable ask and sufficient size; a limit bid can remain unfilled. A displayed midpoint does not guarantee an acquisition or an exit.
Use the relevant fee reference: US fees or International trading fees. There is no blanket zero-fee Polymarket assumption in this guide.
What to check on the contract page
Identify the exact event and outcome, resolution source, closing time, exceptional-outcome rules, executable side and available quantity. Keep accepted orders separate from actual fills, and settlement separate from a withdrawable balance. These distinctions matter more than finding a “safe” first selection.
The earlier guide’s universal one-hour onboarding claim, unsupported KYC threshold and claims that winning accounts cannot be limited are removed. If your purpose is research rather than trading, inspect free data schemas and the historical-data buyer guide first.