Commissions explained
Every FairTicks position includes commission. Commission is charged twice: 1% when the position opens and 1% when the position closes. Both are calculated from the position's opening exposure.
Commissions are part of the simulated trading cost. They are deducted from your balance, included in your equity, and visible in your position details.
The rule, in one line
FairTicks charges 1% of opening exposure when the position opens and 1% of the same opening exposure when the position closes.
This means the full round-trip commission is 2% of opening exposure.
What is opening exposure?
Opening exposure is the official simulated exposure recorded when the position is opened. It is the base used to calculate the opening commission and the closing commission.
Because FairTicks does not use user-selected leverage, the exposure shown before execution is the base used for commission.
opening commission = opening exposure × 1%
closing commission = opening exposure × 1%
total round-trip commission = opening exposure × 2%
The closing commission is calculated from the original opening exposure. It does not increase because the trade made profit, and it does not decrease because the trade lost value.
Worked example — winning trade
Opening exposure: $500
Commission at open: $5.00
Raw realized PnL when the position closes: +$25.00
Commission at close: $5.00
Net amount applied at close: +$25.00 − $5.00 = +$20.00
Total round-trip commission: $10.00
In this example, your balance is reduced by $5.00 when the position opens. When the position closes, the realized PnL is applied and the closing commission is deducted.
Worked example — losing trade
Opening exposure: $1,000
Commission at open: $10.00
Raw realized PnL when the position closes: −$40.00
Commission at close: $10.00
Net amount applied at close: −$40.00 − $10.00 = −$50.00
Total round-trip commission: $20.00
In this example, the full cost of the trade is the market loss plus the two commission legs: $40.00 loss + $20.00 commission = $60.00 total impact.
What changes when commission is charged?
| Area | When opening | When closing |
|---|---|---|
| Balance | Reduced by the opening commission | Realized PnL is applied, then closing commission is deducted |
| Equity | Reflects the lower balance after opening commission | Reflects the final balance after PnL and closing commission |
| Position details | Shows the opening commission | Shows opening commission, closing commission, and total commission |
| Official realized PnL | No realized PnL yet | Recorded when the position closes |
| Net balance impact | Opening commission only | Realized PnL minus closing commission |
Why closing commission uses opening exposure
FairTicks uses opening exposure for both commission legs so the cost is predictable from the moment the trade opens.
Once a position opens, you already know the full round-trip commission: 2% of opening exposure. The cost does not change because the position later wins or loses.
Commissions and risk rules
Commissions reduce your balance and equity, so they affect the same account values used by FairTicks risk rules.
- Daily loss — commissions can consume part of your daily loss buffer, even when raw PnL is flat.
- Max loss — commissions reduce equity and can bring the account closer to the max loss floor.
- Trailing drawdown — commissions reduce equity and can affect the distance from the trailing drawdown floor.
- Payout eligibility — available payout profit is based on eligible account profit after commissions.
Frequent opening and closing can reduce your balance even when raw PnL is close to zero. For example, 20 round trips with $500 opening exposure each would generate $200 in total commission.
Commissions and payout
Payout eligibility is based on the eligible account profit after trading costs. Since commissions are already deducted from balance, they reduce the profit available for payout.
Capital: $100,000
Balance after trading: $101,000
Eligible profit before payout split: $1,000
This balance already reflects commissions paid during trading.
Commissions and contracts
Contracts help define the simulated tick value and exposure of your position. Larger contract combinations can create larger exposure, and larger exposure means larger commission.
Before opening a position, review the position preview carefully. It shows the trade size and related cost information before execution.
Common questions
“Why did my balance drop before the trade moved?”
Because the opening commission is deducted when the position opens. This happens even before the market moves in your favor or against you.
“My position made +$25. Why did my balance only increase by +$20 at close?”
Because the closing commission was deducted when the position closed. If realized PnL is +$25 and closing commission is $5, the net amount applied at close is +$20.
“Is commission charged on profit only?”
No. Commission is not charged only on profit. It is charged on the position's opening exposure: 1% at open and 1% at close.
“Does closing commission increase if my trade wins big?”
No. Closing commission is based on the original opening exposure, not on the final profit.
“Does closing commission decrease if my trade loses?”
No. Closing commission is still based on the original opening exposure.
“Are commissions different on Live accounts?”
No. Live accounts use the same 1% open and 1% close commission rule.
“Are commissions different per market?”
No. The 1% per side commission rate is the same across markets.
“Are commissions reset when my account is reset?”
Yes. A reset creates a fresh account state and resets the account's commission history for the new lifecycle. Past commissions are not refunded because they were already applied to previous trades.
“Where can I see the commission on a specific trade?”
Each position view shows the opening commission, closing commission, and total commission applied to that position. If something does not match your expectation, contact support with the position reference.
Summary
Every FairTicks position pays 1% of opening exposure when it opens and 1% of the same opening exposure when it closes. The full round-trip commission is therefore 2% of opening exposure.
1% at open + 1% at close, both based on opening exposure.
Commission is predictable before the trade opens.
FairTicks charges 1% at open and 1% at close, both based on the opening exposure recorded when the position is opened.
Numbers do not match your dashboard?
Review the position details first. If you still believe something is incorrect, contact support with the account number, position reference, opening time, closing time, and the commission values shown in your dashboard.