We use cookies that are necessary for this site to work. With your permission we would also use analytics and advertising cookies to understand how the site is used and to measure our advertising. Cookie Policy
Margin is the amount of money you need in your trading account to open and maintain a leveraged position. It is not a fee or a cost — it's a portion of your account equity set aside as a good-faith deposit.
Leverage allows you to control a large position with a relatively small amount of capital. For example, with 1:100 leverage, you only need $1,000 in margin to control a $100,000 position. While leverage amplifies potential profits, it also amplifies potential losses.
Know your margin before you place a trade. If your equity falls below the required margin you receive a margin call, and at the stop-out level positions start to close automatically. If a retail account still ends below zero, we credit it back to zero up to USD 100 per occurrence; any shortfall above that remains payable.
Read the explainerMargin and Leverage: How a 1% Move Can Wipe a 100% Account
It depends on the instrument. For forex pairs and gold, Required Margin = Lot Size × Contract Size × Margin Rate ÷ Leverage, in the base currency: 1 lot of EUR/USD at 1:100 leverage needs 1,000 EUR, which the calculator converts into your account currency at the current rate. For index, commodity and crypto CFDs, margin is a fixed percentage of the position value set for each instrument, and your account leverage does not change it. On many instruments the margin rate also rises with position size: the calculator shows the instrument's base rule, and the margin schedule lists the tiers that apply to larger positions.
Leverage is the ratio of your position size to the required margin. 1:100 leverage means you need 1% of the position value as margin. Higher leverage = less margin required, but also higher risk per pip movement.
If your account equity drops below the maintenance margin level, you'll receive a margin call. If equity continues to fall, your positions may be automatically closed (stopped out) to protect your account from further losses.
Yes, for retail accounts, within a limit. If a retail account ends below zero, we credit it back to zero up to USD 100 (or the equivalent) per occurrence. Any shortfall above that remains payable. The Negative Balance Protection Policy has the details.
Accounts open at 1:100. On approval, Standard and Pro accounts can go up to 1:500 and Zero accounts up to 1:200. Metals, indices, crypto and other instruments can carry lower leverage or a fixed margin rate, which the calculator applies for the instrument you select.
Each instrument has its own contract size. A standard forex lot is 100,000 units of the base currency; gold, indices, commodities and crypto have their own contract sizes, shown in each instrument's specification. The margin calculator uses each instrument's contract size from our trading platform.
