What surprised you about spreads on exotic pairs?

EUR/USD might spread 1 pip; USD/ZAR can spread 100 or more. The spread on an exotic can eat a small stop-loss entirely, which beginners discover only after the trade opens.

What surprised you about spreads on exotic pairs? — bid-ask spread diagram
The bid-ask spread on a currency pair

If you've traded exotics:

  • the pair and the spread you saw
  • how the spread changed during your session
  • how it affected your position sizing
What surprised you about spreads on exotic pairs? — pip movement diagram
How a pip moves the exchange rate

The trading costs guide shows how spread eats into every trade.

Background: The real cost of a forex trade: spread, commission and swap

Every trade has costs, and they are easy to underestimate. Here is how to add up the spread, commission and overnight swap on a position.

What is a spread in forex?

The difference between the bid (sell) and ask (buy) price. You pay it every time you open a trade, and it widens when the market is less liquid.

Is a raw spread account cheaper?

Not automatically. Add the spread and the round-trip commission together and compare the total with a spread-only account's typical spread on the pairs you trade.

Read the full guide

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