Product updates

MT5 trading: Fee overview

2025-12-12 05:09074

Transaction fees (commissions)

On the Bitget MT5 platform, transaction fees incurred are also referred to as commissions that you pay. Different futures types available for trading may carry different transaction fee rates, as shown below.

Futures type
Margin
Transaction fee for VIP2 users and below
Transaction fee for VIP3 users and above
Forex
Up to 500:1
$6 per lot
$5.4 per lot
Precious metals
Up to 500:1
$6 per lot
$5.4 per lot
Commodities
20:1
$3 per lot
$2.7 per lot
Oil
Up to 500:1
$3 per lot
$2.7 per lot
Indices
Nikkei225
Up to 500:1
$0.1 per lot
$0.09 per lot
HK50
Up to 500:1
$1.5 per lot
$1.35 per lot
HKTECH
Up to 500:1
$0.5 per lot
$0.45 per lot
Other futures
Up to 500:1
$3 per lot
$2.7 per lot

When you open a position on MT5, the system only checks whether your balance is able to cover the required margin, excluding the transaction fee. However, as the transaction fee will be deducted directly from the account balance, you must also make sure to have enough funds to cover the fee. Otherwise, a position could be liquidated as soon as it is opened.

Transaction fee calculation

Transaction fees for forex, metals, commodities, oil, and indices are calculated as follows:

Fee = futures trading volume (lots) × fee per lot

Fee charging and display logic

The transaction fee will be charged immediately when opening a position from your MT5 account balance.

Swap fee

Specific futures trade categories will incur swap fees (also known as "rollover" or "overnight interest"). Refer to the futures specifications in the MT5 client for more details.

On Bitget, swaps for forex, precious metals, oil, and commodities are charged by points, while indices swaps are charged by money. The calculation of swap fees might be more complex. Swap fees are charged when the positions are held past 00:00 server time* (usually UTC+3, and UTC+2 during daylight saving time).

There are two types of calculation methods used within Bitget MT5:

By money (indices)

Formula = swap x lot size x holding days

Example: Calculating swaps for HK50

The user has one lot long for HK50 and holds the position for two days.

Long swap: –7.2

Short swap: +3

Calculation = –7.2 × 2 × 1 = –14.4 USD

By points (commodities, forex, metals, oil)

Formula: lot size × unit × smallest digit × swap rate × holding days

Example: Calculating swaps for gold

Assuming there is a long position and the swap rate for a short position is –50. A user holds two positions with one lot each, making a total lot size of two.

  • Futures specification: Take gold as an example, 1 lot = 100 units, and the futures contract's smallest price movement (smallest digit) is 0.01.

  • Total lot size: The user holds two positions with one lot each, making a total lot size of two.

Applying the formula:

Lot size × unit × smallest digit × swap rate × holding days

In this case:

  • Lot size = 2

  • Unit = 100

  • Smallest digit = 0.01

  • Holding days =1

  • Swap fee = –50 (short)

Swap calculation:

2 × 100 × 0.01 × (–50) × 1 = –100

Market watch and swap rates

Within the market watch window, right-click a futures contract and select "

Specification
". Scroll down to view the specific rates for
Swap Long
and
Swap Short
of each position. For more details on the different futures, check the
MT5 Contract Specification.
In addition, a 3-day swap charge may apply in certain cases.

What is a 3-day swap?

Financial markets (forex, commodities, indices, etc.) generally do not operate on weekends. However, the interest for these non-trading days still needs to be accounted for. The term "3-day swap" refers to the interest or financing cost that is applied to positions held overnight during the weekend. This fee is typically multiplied by three to account for the interest accrued when the markets are closed.

To make up for the potential interest loss during the weekend, Bitget applies a 3-day swap charge on Wednesdays. This ensures that the interest in holding positions over this period is covered.

How it works

  1. Daily swap rates: Normally, swap rates (the cost of holding a position overnight) are applied at the end of each trading day.

  2. 3-day swap application: On a specific day (usually Wednesday), the swap rate is multiplied by three to cover the interest of the two days (Saturday and Sunday) when the market is closed.

  3. Charging on Wednesdays: This practice aligns with the T+2 settlement convention (trade date plus two days), which is standard in many financial markets. Trades executed on Wednesday typically settle on Friday, and thus positions held past this point incur weekend swaps.

Example

Forex trading

Suppose you have a long position in EURUSD, and the daily swap rate is –0.1 points.

  • Daily swap: –0.1 points

  • 3-day swap (applied on Wednesday): –0.1 points × 3 = –0.3 points

If you hold the position from Wednesday to Thursday, the swap fee for that night will be –0.3 points, instead of the usual –0.1 points.

Commodities and precious metals

Similar to forex, if you hold a position in gold (XAUUSD) overnight, the 3-day swap on Wednesday will cover the weekend:

  • Daily swap rate: Suppose the rate for gold is –0.2 points.

  • 3-day swap (applied on Wednesday): –0.2 points × 3 = –0.6 points

Indices

For indices like the S&P500, the process is the same:

  • Daily swap rate: Assume the rate is –0.05 points.

  • 3-day swap (applied on Friday): –0.05 points × 3 = –0.15 points.

Importance for traders

Understanding the 3-day swap is crucial for traders as it can significantly affect the cost of holding positions over the weekend. Properly accounting for these charges helps in better managing trading costs and making informed decisions about holding positions over the midweek.

Dividends: Indices futures

Index trading on MetaTrader 5 (MT5) allows traders to speculate on the price movements of major global indices. However, trading index futures involves additional considerations, particularly when it comes to dividend adjustments. The following section explains how dividend payouts affect your account balance if you hold positions during a dividend event.

What are dividends?

Dividends are payments made by companies to their shareholders, usually as a distribution of profits. For indices, which are composed of multiple stocks, the total dividend payouts from constituent companies can influence the index price. Brokers account for this impact by making dividend adjustments to traders' accounts holding positions at the time of a dividend payout.

How dividend adjustments work

Dividend adjustments are applied to index futures when a constituent company of the index pays a dividend. These adjustments ensure fairness in trading by reflecting the impact of the dividend on the index price.

For long positions

If you hold a long position (buy) on an index futures contract during a dividend payout:

  • You will receive a dividend adjustment credited directly to your account balance.

  • The amount reflects the dividend impact based on the size of your position.

For short positions

If you hold a short position (sell) on an index futures contract during a dividend payout:

  • A dividend adjustment will be deducted directly from your account balance.

  • The deduction reflects the dividend impact based on the size of your position.

Example of a dividend adjustment

Here's an example:

  • An index futures contract's constituent stocks declare dividends, and the dividend adjustment for the index is $5 per lot.

  • You are holding 0.2 lots.

  1. If you have a long position:

  • Dividend adjustment = $5 × 0.2 lots = $1, credited to your account.

  1. If you have a short position:

  • Dividend adjustment = $5 × 0.2 lots = $1, deducted from your account.

Key takeaways

  • Dividend adjustments only apply if you hold positions at the time of the dividend payout.

  • The adjustment amount depends on the declared dividend for the index's constituent stocks and the size of your position.

  • The adjustments are automatically applied to your MT5 account balance.

Join Bitget, the World's Leading Crypto Exchange and Web3 Company