XM Standard Account: Who It Suits, 1 Standard Lot and Overnight Swap

Standard is the XM account for extra margin from the deposit bonus and for earning a swap on sold gold. For day trades, however, the Ultra Low Standard account costs less.

If Standard suits your trading, you pick Standard on the XM registration form.

Is the XM Standard Account Right for You?

• For the bonus
  Standard gets XM’s deposit bonus, but Ultra Low Standard does not. With the bonus, the same deposit can keep a trade open through a much bigger price move.
• Gold sells held for weeks
  On Standard, you receive a swap every night you hold a sell position on gold. Ultra Low Standard has no swap on gold, so this income exists only on Standard.
• Day trades
  For trades that you close on the same day, Ultra Low Standard is the better choice. After the Forex FanClub rebate, one trade on EURUSD costs about 0.4 pips less on Ultra Low Standard.
• A few dollars
  For a start with a few dollars, Micro is the better choice. The smallest Micro trade is 100 units of currency, and the XM cent account guide explains Micro.
• Already on Standard
  For your day trades, add an Ultra Low Standard trading account. Ultra Low gets no bonus, so move only the money that you will trade there. The XM additional account guide shows the steps.

The table below shows how far the gold price can move against 0.1 lot of gold on a 100 USD deposit before the deposit is used up.

	No bonus	100 USD bonus
Gold price move	about $6	about $16

In most countries we checked, a 100 USD deposit received up to 100 USD of bonus. However, the offer differs by country, so check the XM promotions page (opens in a new tab) first.

What Is the XM Standard Account?

Standard is the XM account for 100,000-unit lots that gets the deposit bonus. Instead of a commission, the cost of a trade is in the spread.

• Spread
  The spread starts at 1.6 pips. On EURUSD, the 24-hour average is about 2.1 pips, and the XM spread tool shows today’s figure.
• Commission
  XM charges no commission on Standard, so the spread is the whole cost of a trade.
• Bonus
  XM gives its deposit bonus on Standard, but the offer differs by country.
• Swap
  Each night a trade stays open, you pay or receive a swap.
• Smallest trade
  The smallest trade is 0.01 lot, which is 1,000 units of currency.

Scalping and hedging are both allowed, and you can trade on MT4 or MT5.

To compare every item with the other XM account types, use the comparison tool in the XM account types guide.

How Big Is 1 Standard Lot on XM?

1 standard lot is 100,000 units of currency, so on EURUSD each pip is worth about 10 USD.

1 lot and 3 lots on XM Standard

	EURUSD	Gold
Trade size: 1 lot	100,000 EUR	100 troy ounces
Gain or loss for each price move on 1 lot	1 pip: about $10	$1: $100
Trade size: 3 lots	300,000 EUR	300 troy ounces
Gain or loss for each price move on 3 lots	1 pip: about $30	$1: $300
Margin for 1 lot at 1:1000	about $112	about $395

XM lowers the leverage in steps as your equity grows, so the margin rises with it. The XM margin calculator shows the steps and today’s margin.

Also, one order can be up to 50 lots.

How Much Money Do You Need to Start on XM Standard?

5 USD, the minimum deposit, opens the smallest Standard trade on EURUSD.

What the smallest Standard trade needs

	EURUSD	Gold
Smallest trade size	1,000 EUR	1 troy ounce
Margin needed at 1:1000 leverage	about $1.12	about $3.95
Gain or loss for each price move	1 pip: about $0.10	$1: $1
Price move that 5 USD can cover	about 40 pips	about $1.05

The margin is the money that opening the trade sets aside. The rest of the deposit then covers losses when the price moves against you, and the last row shows how far the price can move before the 5 USD is used up.

To check your own balance, use the lot size calculator. The calculator shows the largest trade your balance allows and how far the price can move before a stop-out.

What Does XM Standard Charge to Hold a Trade Overnight?

On a Standard account, you pay or receive a swap for each night a trade stays open. On gold, the buy side pays and the sell side receives at today’s rates.

The table below shows the swap for one night on 0.1 lot on the XM Standard account.

	Buy position	Sell position
EURUSD	−$0.78	+$0.14
Gold	−$7.86	+$1.68

On Wednesday night, the swap on currency pairs and gold is three times the usual amount, because the Wednesday swap covers the weekend.

• Islamic option
  For religious reasons, you can apply for the swap-free Islamic option in the Members Area settings. The option works on Standard and Ultra Low trading accounts.
• Ultra Low Standard
  Holding gold or the majors for days costs no swap on Ultra Low Standard, and the XM Ultra Low account guide lists the instruments.

For every other instrument, the XM swap tool shows each night’s amount.

The XM fees guide shows the swap together with the other costs of a trade on XM.

Interest rates set the swap, and the same interest rates also move the price. NinjaBull, our free macro dashboard for gold and bitcoin, shows what is moving the price, updated through the day.

So before you hold a position for the swap for several weeks, check NinjaBull. NinjaBull is analysis for your own view, not investment advice.

How Do You Open or Add an XM Standard Account?

• New to XM
  On the registration form, pick Standard, and then deposit at least 5 USD. The XM registration guide shows each step.
• Already with XM
  From the Home screen, tap +, then Create Trading Account, and choose Standard. The XM additional account guide shows each step.

Not with XM yet? Open your first trading account with the button below, and you receive a rebate on every lot you trade.

Questions People Ask About the XM Standard Account

Is Standard or Ultra Low Standard better?

Ultra Low Standard costs less per trade. Standard, on the other hand, gets the deposit bonus and a swap income on gold sell positions. The XM account types guide compares both.

Does XM give a 100% bonus on Standard?

The bonus depends on your country. Standard gets XM’s deposit bonus, but the rate and the limit differ by country. The XM promotions page (opens in a new tab) shows both for your country.

Does the XM bonus reduce my rebate?

Only when you use the bonus for part of a trade’s margin. The rebate on that trade goes down by the same share.

For example, if the bonus covers half of the margin, you receive half of the rebate. The XM rebate guide explains this rule in detail.

What is the minimum deposit for XM Standard?

5 USD. However, some payment methods set a higher minimum, and the deposit screen shows the minimum for each payment method. The XM deposit guide explains each step.

Does XM Standard charge a commission?

No. Instead, the cost of a trade is in the spread, which starts at 1.6 pips.

What is the maximum lot size on XM Standard?

One order can be up to 50 lots. However, the largest trade that you can open also depends on your balance, and the lot size calculator shows this size for your balance.

Is there an XM Standard demo account?

Yes. XM’s demo accounts come in Standard and Ultra Low Standard, and you can add one in the Members Area.

Can I switch my Standard account to Ultra Low?

No. Add an Ultra Low Standard trading account instead. If you move half your balance there, half your bonus is removed, because Ultra Low gets no bonus.

Are scalping and hedging allowed on XM Standard?

Yes, both. However, hedge within one trading account, because XM does not allow a buy in one of your trading accounts against a sell in another.

Trades closed within three minutes earn no rebate, so for scalping you pay the full spread.

Which XM Guide Do You Need Next?

The account types guide compares all five types, and the rebate guide shows what you get back on Standard.