Exposure & position control
Exposure is the FairTicks way to control how much simulated position size is currently committed across your open positions. It helps keep total open risk visible before you add a new trade.
Exposure makes total open commitment visible. Before you add a new position, you should know how much exposure is already used, how much remains, and whether the new trade fits inside your account rules.
What is exposure?
Exposure is the simulated position value reserved by your open positions. Each FairTicks account has a maximum exposure cap. If opening a new position would push your account above that cap, the position is blocked.
Exposure is calculated at the account level across all open positions. This means positions on different markets can use the same account exposure pool.
If your account has a max exposure of $70 and you already use $50, you have $20 remaining.
A new position requiring $30 exposure would be blocked because only $20 remains.
How contracts create exposure
FairTicks uses NANO, MICRO, and MINI contracts. The contracts you select determine the opening exposure of the position.
| Contract | FairTicks value | Exposure added per contract |
|---|---|---|
| NANO | $1 / tick | $1 exposure |
| MICRO | $5 / tick | $5 exposure |
| MINI | $10 / tick | $10 exposure |
position exposure = selected NANO × $1 + selected MICRO × $5 + selected MINI × $10
FairTicks does not use user-selected leverage for exposure. The exposure comes from the selected contracts.
Contracts affect both tick value and exposure. Larger contract combinations create larger simulated PnL movement and consume more of your account exposure capacity.
Account exposure formula
Your account current exposure is the sum of exposure used by all open positions on that account.
current exposure = sum of exposure used by all open positions
remaining exposure = max exposure − current exposure
When a position is opened, exposure is reserved. When a position is closed and settled, that exposure is released.
Example 1 — simple position exposure
You open a position using:
10 NANO = 10 × $1 = $10 exposure
2 MICRO = 2 × $5 = $10 exposure
1 MINI = 1 × $10 = $10 exposure
Total position exposure = $10 + $10 + $10 = $30
This position reserves $30 of exposure capacity until it is closed and settled.
Example 2 — multiple open positions across markets
Account max exposure: $70
Current exposure before trading: $0
| Position | Contracts used | Position exposure | Current exposure after open | Remaining exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTCUSDT Long | 20 NANO | $20 | $20 | $50 |
| ETHUSDT Long | 4 MICRO + 1 MINI | $30 | $50 | $20 |
| SOLUSDT Short | 2 MINI | $20 | $70 | $0 |
After these three positions, the account is at the exposure cap. Any new position that requires more exposure is blocked until exposure is released.
Example 3 — position blocked by max exposure
Max exposure: $70
Current exposure: $50
Remaining exposure: $20
New position requested: 3 MINI = $30 exposure
Result: Blocked, because $50 + $30 = $80, which exceeds the $70 cap.
A new position can open only if:
current exposure + requested position exposure ≤ max exposure
Example 4 — exposure released after closing
Closing a position releases the exposure used by that position after the close is settled.
Current exposure before close: $70
Trader closes SOLUSDT Short using $20 exposure.
New current exposure after settlement: $50
Remaining exposure: $20
The trader can now open a new position that fits within the remaining $20 exposure capacity, as long as all other account rules are also satisfied.
Exposure vs available contracts
Exposure and available contracts are connected, but they are not the same thing.
| Resource | What it means | Can block a trade? |
|---|---|---|
| Available contracts | How many NANO, MICRO, and MINI contracts are still available on the account. | Yes. If you do not have enough selected contracts available, the trade is blocked. |
| Remaining exposure | How much exposure capacity remains before reaching the max exposure cap. | Yes. If the requested exposure exceeds the remaining capacity, the trade is blocked. |
| Balance | The account balance used by the trading engine. | Yes. If the requested position size exceeds available balance, the trade can be blocked. |
A trade can be blocked even if you still have some contracts available. It can also be blocked even if you still have exposure remaining. The trade must pass all account resource checks at the same time.
Why a position can be blocked
A new position can be blocked for several reasons. Exposure is only one of them.
| Reason | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Max exposure exceeded | The new position would push current exposure above the account cap. | Check current exposure, max exposure, and remaining exposure. |
| Not enough contracts | The account does not have enough NANO, MICRO, or MINI contracts available. | Check available contracts in the dashboard. |
| Insufficient balance | The requested position size is larger than the account balance allows. | Reduce contracts or check balance. |
| Existing open position on same market | The account already has an open position on that market. | Close the existing position or use Reverse Trade where supported. |
| Account status block | The account is not currently allowed to open new exposure. | Check status such as COOLDOWN, BREACHED, FROZEN, EXPIRED, or CLOSED. |
| Stop Loss or risk rule block | The trade does not satisfy required risk rules. | Check Stop Loss, R-01, account model rules, and risk preview. |
| Market data unavailable | The market price is temporarily unavailable or stale. | Wait and retry when market data is available. |
One open position per market
FairTicks allows one open position per account and market. This keeps position management clear and prevents hidden stacking on the same instrument.
You already have an open BTCUSDT Long.
Trying to open another BTCUSDT Long is blocked.
Trying to open a BTCUSDT Short at the same time is also blocked.
One market, one active position, one clear direction. This avoids confusion between stacked trades, hidden hedges, and unclear risk.
Hedging is not allowed
You cannot hold both a Long and a Short position on the same symbol at the same time. Trying to open the opposite direction while a position is already open on that market is blocked.
"You already have an open LONG position on BTCUSDT. Opening a SHORT position is not allowed."
FairTicks blocks same-market hedging because it can hide true directional intent and create artificial activity. The platform keeps the trading structure simple: one clear direction per market at a time.
What if I want to switch direction?
To switch from Long to Short, or from Short to Long, you need to close the existing position first. Where supported, the Reverse Trade action can flip the position in one step.
| Action | What happens | Important |
|---|---|---|
| Manual close then open | You close the current position, then open a new position in the opposite direction. | The new position must pass all exposure, contracts, balance, and risk checks. |
| Reverse Trade | FairTicks closes or replaces the current direction and opens the inverse direction where supported. | Reverse Trade is only available where enabled and can be blocked by account status or risk rules. |
Exposure and commissions
Commission is calculated from the opening exposure of the position. This means larger exposure creates larger commission.
Opening exposure: $50
Opening commission: 1% × $50 = $0.50
Closing commission: 1% × $50 = $0.50
Total round-trip commission: $1.00
The opening commission reduces balance when the position opens. The closing commission is applied when the position closes.
Reducing exposure reduces the position's simulated tick value and commission base, but it does not guarantee account safety. Daily Loss, Max Loss, Stop Loss, and other rules still apply.
Exposure and risk limits
Max exposure is not the same as Daily Loss, Max Loss, or Trailing Drawdown. These rules work together, but they control different things.
| Rule | What it controls | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Max exposure | How much open position size can be committed at the same time. | Blocks a new trade if requested exposure exceeds remaining exposure. |
| Daily Loss | How much live equity can fall during the trading day. | Can breach if open PnL or losses push equity to the daily breach floor. |
| Max Loss | How far total account equity can fall relative to the account's max loss floor. | Can breach even if exposure is low but losses are large enough. |
| R-01 / Stop Loss | How much risk a single trade can take through stop-loss structure. | Can block an entry if the stop loss is missing or too wide where required. |
Exposure controls how much you can commit. Risk floors control how much the account can lose. A trade must respect both.
What happens during breach, expiration, or system close?
If positions are closed by an official FairTicks lifecycle process, such as breach or expiration settlement, the exposure used by those positions is released as part of the close process.
After the account is breached or expired, trading can still remain disabled because of the account status, even if exposure has been released.
Released exposure does not reactivate a breached or expired account. Account status controls whether new trading is allowed.
Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Why it creates confusion | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking available contracts are enough | Max exposure can still block the position. | Check both contracts and remaining exposure. |
| Thinking exposure is the same as account loss | Exposure is position size, not realized loss. | Use exposure for commitment; use equity/risk panels for loss limits. |
| Trying to hedge the same market | FairTicks blocks same-market Long and Short at the same time. | Close first, or use Reverse Trade where supported. |
| Opening too many markets at once | Exposure is account-level across open positions. | Track total exposure, not only one position. |
| Assuming close instantly frees all actions | Exposure releases after settlement, but other rules may still block trading. | Check account status and resource preview after closing. |
Common questions
“What is exposure in FairTicks?”
Exposure is the simulated position value reserved by your open positions. It is based on the contracts selected when opening positions.
“How is position exposure calculated?”
Position exposure is calculated from selected contracts: NANO adds $1, MICRO adds $5, and MINI adds $10.
“Does leverage affect exposure?”
No. FairTicks does not use user-selected leverage for exposure. Exposure is based on selected contracts.
“Why was my position blocked with Max exposure exceeded?”
Because your current exposure plus the requested position exposure would exceed your account's max exposure cap. Reduce the requested contracts or close existing positions to free exposure.
“Why can’t I open another BTCUSDT position?”
FairTicks allows one open position per account and market. If you already have an open BTCUSDT position, another BTCUSDT position is blocked until the current one is closed or reversed where supported.
“Can I hedge Long and Short on the same symbol?”
No. FairTicks does not allow holding Long and Short on the same market at the same time.
“Does closing a position free exposure?”
Yes. Once the close is processed and settled, the exposure used by that position is released.
“Can I still be blocked after exposure is released?”
Yes. Other conditions can still block trading, such as account status, cooldown, breach, expiration, stop-loss rules, market data, balance, or contracts availability.
“Does exposure affect commission?”
Yes. Commission is calculated from the opening exposure. Larger exposure means larger opening and closing commission.
“Is exposure the same as loss?”
No. Exposure is the size committed by open positions. Loss is based on PnL, equity, commissions, and account risk rules.
Summary
Exposure controls how much simulated position size you can have open at the same time. It is based on contracts, tracked across all open positions on the account, and limited by the account's max exposure cap.
A position must fit inside exposure, contracts, balance, status, stop-loss, and risk rules. If any required condition fails, the position can be blocked.
Exposure shows how much open position capacity is already committed — and the max exposure cap stops you from over-committing.
Exposure is about open commitment, not only one trade.
Every open position consumes account exposure. To open a new position, the account must have enough remaining exposure, enough contracts, valid status, and all risk rules satisfied.