What are forex rebates? Per-lot cashback explained with real numbers
Forex rebates are the most misunderstood corner of cashback — dismissed as a gimmick by people who haven't seen the mechanics, oversold as free money by people who have. The truth is boring and valuable: rebates are a standard, disclosed slice of broker economics, and for active traders they're the single highest-yield cashback category that exists.
Where the money actually comes from
Brokers pay introducing partners (IBs) an ongoing commission for referred clients — a share of the spread/commission each client generates, per traded lot, for the life of the account. This is how the entire retail brokerage industry acquires customers; it's priced into every broker's unit economics already. A rebate service passes most of that IB commission back to the trader who generated it. You are not being paid a bonus; you are being refunded a marketing cost you were already generating.
Exact figures vary by broker and account type. The published per-broker table is the number the wallet pays.
What 'up to 80%' means — decoded
The 80% refers to the share of the IB commission returned to you, not 80% of your spread. In per-lot terms, our current table runs from about $1.5/lot (Pepperstone) to $15.5/lot (Exness) depending on the broker's commission structure. That 10× range is why broker selection matters more than any other rebate decision — and why we publish the actual per-lot table instead of hiding behind the headline percentage.
| Broker | Rebate per standard lot | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exness | $15.50 | highest on the current table |
| HFM | $11.90 | low minimum deposit |
| XM | $8.83 | |
| IUX | $8.40 | |
| RoboForex | $7.70 | |
| Vantage | $7.70 | |
| IC Markets | $3.59 | raw-spread accounts |
| Pepperstone | $1.50 | commission-based accounts |
The honest math on real volume
Volume × per-lot rate. No dependence on whether the trades won. This is why rebate income is boring and reliable in a way trading P&L never is.
A rebate reduces your cost per trade. It does not improve your strategy, your risk management or your odds. A losing strategy loses slightly less with rebates; it does not become a winning one. Never increase trading volume to farm rebates — overtrading costs more in spread and losses than any rebate returns. Trade exactly as you would anyway; let the rebate refund costs you were already paying.
Does linking change my trading conditions?
No. Same spreads, same execution, same platform, same withdrawal rules — the broker's terms don't change based on IB attribution. The commission the broker pays us exists whether or not you collect your share of it. We never see your trading password, never touch your funds, and can't place trades. The only thing that changes is where a slice of the broker's marketing budget lands.
40+ brokers with published per-lot tables — plus the rebate calculator for your own volume.
Frequently asked questions
Do rebates work on losing trades?+
Yes — rebates are paid per closed lot, independent of trade outcome. That's the point: they're a share of the flow-based commission the broker pays, not a performance bonus. This makes rebate income the only trading-linked cash flow that's stable regardless of P&L.
Can I get rebates on my EXISTING broker account?+
Often yes — many brokers support re-attribution of an existing account to a new introducing partner (a change-partner request). Some require opening a fresh account instead. Per-broker instructions are on each broker's page after you join.
Why does the broker allow this at all?+
Because IB commissions are their standard acquisition channel — they'd rather pay a commission for active referred flow than spend it on ads with no guarantee. The rebate share we return to you comes out of our commission, not out of the broker's pocket beyond what they already pay.
Is there a minimum volume to earn rebates?+
No minimum. Rebates accrue from the first closed lot at the published per-lot rate and accumulate in the wallet. Withdrawal minimums exist only to keep transfer fees sensible.
Are rebates the same as 'cashback bonuses' brokers advertise?+
No. Broker-run bonuses are promotional credits with terms (volume requirements, withdrawal locks). Rebates are plain money paid per lot into a wallet the broker doesn't control, withdrawable under our rules — no trading lock-ins.