CME Individual Membership

Individual membership at CME enables the member to trade CME products at discounted rates, in the division of membership held. 

To be an individual member of CME, you must be an adult with adequate financial resources to assume the responsibilities and privileges of membership and possess good moral character, a good reputation, and business integrity.

Exchange Memberships

CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX memberships are entirely separate from one another and offer access to different products at different rates. To trade specific products, you must be a member of the Exchange on which they trade. 

To find out which products trade on CME:

Visit the Product Slate

Divisions of Individual Membership

There are four divisions of individual CME memberships representing the four levels of access to CME products. Individual memberships at CME became attached to a Class B share in Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. when the exchange de-mutualized and became a publicly traded company in 2002.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) (B1) membership

Trades: Any CME Exchange-listed contract

International Monetary Market (IMM) (B2) membership

Trades: Foreign Exchange, Interest Rate and Equity Index futures, and all IOM and GEM products

Index and Option Market (IOM) (B3) membership

Trades: Equity Index futures contracts, random length Lumber contracts, all options contracts, and all GEM products

Growth and Emerging Markets (GEM) (B4) membership

Trades: Various products including contracts related to emerging market countries; restricted financials

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Lease Prices

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Memberships For Lease

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Applying for a CME Individual Membership

Once you have decided a CME individual membership is right for you, apply for membership.

Each of the four levels of individual CME memberships involve the same application process.

To apply for CME membership you must submit:

  • A typewritten electronic application for membership, including answers to questions concerning educational, employment & residential history as well as disciplinary history and completion of a financial statement
  • A $2,000 wire for the non-refundable application fee
  • A signed letter of intent 
  • A copy of the applicants current  trading account statement or if trading for a proprietary firm a signed letter of confirmation from the firm
  • A copy of the applicant's unexpired passport
  • Please refer to the Membership Application Instructions & Checklist posted on the Membership forms pages

Notes:

  • The membership application forms can be found on the Membership Forms pages 
  • All membership documents must be submitted electronically

During the application process, we list the name of each applicant in our Membership Bulletin.

If we approve your membership application, you have 30 days to acquire a membership. 

You can acquire a membership via:

  • Purchase
  • Lease from a current member
  • Firm transfer 

Acquisitions

You may submit a bid to purchase a membership at any time, i.e., before you submit your application for membership, while your application is being processed, or after your application is approved.

You may also submit a lease agreement or transfer forms once you are approved for membership. You may lease a membership by paying a monthly rent to an owner of any division of membership.

You can find a member to lease from through your clearing firm or through a list of lessors posted on the Membership Pricing page.  

Forms

Listed here are forms customers may need to process or understand their membership needs and requirements.

Individual Membership Forms

Seat Market Forms

BPS Forms

Other Forms

Transfer Forms

Other Q&As

CME Membership Fee Schedule

Contact Us

Chicago

+1 312 435 3480