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Knowing the different order types is what separates a trader with a plan from one who just clicks buy and hopes. Orders let you enter at the right price, lock in profits and cap losses — automatically. This guide explains every forex order type in plain English, with when to use each.

The two ways to enter a trade

1. Market order

A market order opens a trade immediately at the current price. Use it when you want in (or out) right now and a few pips do not matter. This is the most common order for beginners.

2. Pending orders (enter later, at your price)

A pending order tells the platform to open a trade only when price reaches a level you choose. There are four types:

• Buy Limit: buy below the current price (you expect a dip, then a bounce up).
• Sell Limit: sell above the current price (you expect a rise, then a drop).
• Buy Stop: buy above the current price (you expect a breakout higher).
• Sell Stop: sell below the current price (you expect a breakdown lower).

Pending orders are great when you have a plan but cannot watch the screen all day.

The two orders that protect every trade

Stop-loss (SL)

A stop-loss automatically closes your trade at a set price if the market moves against you — capping your loss. Every trade should have one. It is your single most important risk-management tool.

Take-profit (TP)

A take-profit automatically closes your trade once it reaches your profit target, so you lock in gains without having to watch constantly.

Putting it together: a worked example

Say EUR/USD is at 1.0800 and you expect a rise:

• You place a market order to buy at 1.0800.
• You set a stop-loss at 1.0780 (20 pips of risk).
• You set a take-profit at 1.0840 (40 pips of reward).

That is a 1:2 risk-to-reward trade that manages itself — whether it wins or loses, your plan is already in place.

Risk warning: Orders help manage risk but do not remove it. In fast markets, prices can gap past a stop-loss. Trading carries a high level of risk and you could lose your invested capital.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a limit and a stop order?

A limit order buys lower or sells higher than the current price (trading a reversal); a stop order buys higher or sells lower (trading a breakout).

Should I always use a stop-loss?

Yes. A stop-loss caps your downside and is the foundation of risk management on every trade.

What is a good risk-to-reward ratio?

Many traders aim for at least 1:2 — risking 20 pips to make 40 — so winners outweigh losers over time.

Can I change my stop-loss and take-profit after opening a trade?

Yes, you can adjust them while the trade is open — but avoid moving your stop further away just to avoid a loss.

Trade with a plan

Open a free demo and practise market and pending orders with stop-loss and take-profit. New here? Start with our beginners guide and learn to read charts.

Margin is one of the most important concepts in leveraged trading — and one that trips up many beginners. Understand it, and you will know exactly how much you can trade and how to avoid having positions closed on you. This guide breaks down margin, free margin, margin level, and the margin call.

What is margin in forex?

Margin is the amount of your own money set aside to open and hold a leveraged trade. It is not a fee — it is a good-faith deposit that is locked while the trade is open and released when you close it. Margin is the flip side of leverage: the higher your leverage, the less margin you need.

How to calculate required margin

Required margin = position size ÷ leverage.

Example: to open 1 standard lot of EUR/USD (worth about $108,000) at 1:200 leverage, you need $108,000 ÷ 200 = $540 in margin.

The four terms you need to know

• Balance: your account cash, not counting open trades.
• Equity: balance plus or minus the profit/loss of open trades.
• Used margin: the total margin locked in your open positions.
• Free margin: equity minus used margin — what you have left to open new trades or absorb losses.

What is margin level?

Margin level shows how healthy your account is:

Margin level = (equity ÷ used margin) × 100%

A high margin level is safe; a falling one means your losses are eating into your margin.

Margin call and stop-out

SCapitalFX uses two protective levels based on your margin level:

• Margin call at 100%: a warning that your equity has dropped to your used margin. Add funds or reduce positions.
• Stop-out at 50%: if your margin level keeps falling to 50%, positions are automatically closed (worst first) to stop further losses.

How to avoid a margin call

• Do not use all your free margin at once — keep a buffer.
• Always trade with a stop-loss so losses can’t spiral.
• Use sensible position sizes (risk 1–2% per trade).
• Watch your margin level, especially around big news.

Risk warning: Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and can lead to rapid losses. You could lose some or all of your invested capital. Never trade with money you cannot afford to lose.

Frequently asked questions

Is margin a fee or a cost?

No. Margin is a deposit that is locked while your trade is open and returned to your free margin when you close it.

What happens at a margin call?

It is a warning that your account is at risk. If the margin level keeps falling to the stop-out level (50%), positions are closed automatically.

How much margin do I need?

Divide the position size by your leverage. A $20,000 position at 1:200 needs $100; the same position at 1:50 needs $400.

What is the difference between margin and free margin?

Used margin is locked in open trades; free margin is what is left over to open new trades or withstand losses.

Trade with margin in mind

Open a free demo to see margin and margin level update live as you trade. Learn the basics first in our beginners guide.

When you place a forex trade, you choose a lot size — and that single choice decides how much each price move is worth, and how much you can win or lose. Getting it right is the heart of risk management. This guide explains what a lot is, the different lot sizes, and how to pick the right one.

What is a lot in forex?

A lot is the standard unit of trade size in forex. It tells you how many units of the base currency you are trading. Instead of saying “100,000 euros,” traders just say “1 lot of EUR/USD.”

Forex lot sizes explained

*Approximate pip value for US-dollar-quoted pairs. See what is a pip.

At SCapitalFX you can trade from 0.01 lots (a micro lot), which keeps each pip worth about 10 cents — ideal while you learn.

Why lot size matters so much

Your lot size directly controls your risk. The same 30-pip loss is:

• $300 on a standard lot
• $30 on a mini lot
• $3 on a micro lot

Same market move, very different outcomes — which is why beginners should start small.

How to choose the right lot size

Professionals size trades from their risk, not their hopes. The formula:

Lot size = (risk in $) ÷ (stop-loss in pips × pip value per lot)

Worked example

Say you have $1,000 and risk 1% ($10) on a trade with a 50-pip stop-loss:

• You need a pip value of $10 ÷ 50 = $0.20 per pip.
• Since a micro lot is $0.10 per pip, that is about 0.02 lots.

This way, even if the trade hits your stop, you only lose the $10 you planned to risk.

Risk warning: Trading forex on margin carries a high level of risk. Position sizing controls your risk, but you can still lose your invested capital. Never risk money you cannot afford to lose.

Frequently asked questions

What is the smallest lot I can trade?

At SCapitalFX you can trade from 0.01 lots (a micro lot), so you can keep positions and risk very small.

How much is 1 lot worth?

A standard lot is 100,000 units, where each pip is about $10 for US-dollar pairs. A mini lot is $1 per pip and a micro lot $0.10.

What lot size should a beginner use?

Start with micro lots (0.01) and size each trade so you risk only 1–2% of your balance.

Does lot size change for gold or indices?

Yes — each market has its own contract size. For example, 1 lot of gold is 100 ounces and 1 lot of an index is 1 contract. Check each instrument’s details before trading.

Practise your sizing

Open a free demo or live account and practise lot sizing with micro lots. New? Start with how to start with $10 and our beginners guide.

Forex and stocks are two of the most popular ways to grow money in the markets — but they work very differently. If you are deciding where to start, this guide compares them on the things that actually matter: cost, hours, leverage, capital needed and risk.

The quick answer

Forex suits traders who want low startup costs, flexible 24-hour access and short-term opportunities. Stocks suit investors who want to own a piece of a company and hold for the longer term. Many people do both — and you can get stock-market exposure through indices without buying individual shares.

Forex vs stocks at a glance

Advantages of trading forex

• Open 24/5 — trade around your schedule.
• Low entry — start from $10 with micro lots.
• High liquidity — major pairs are easy to enter and exit with tight spreads.
• Profit in both directions — go long or short with equal ease.
• Fewer markets to follow — you can focus on a handful of pairs.

Advantages of stocks

• Ownership — a share is a slice of a real company, sometimes paying dividends.
• Long-term growth — historically strong over years and decades.
• Huge choice — thousands of companies across sectors.

Which is better for beginners?

Neither is “better” — it depends on your goals:

• Want short-term, flexible trading with a small budget? Forex is a natural starting point.
• Want to invest and hold for years? Individual stocks may suit you more.

Whichever you choose, the fundamentals are the same: learn the basics, manage risk, and practise first. Start with our forex for beginners guide and learn about leverage before you trade.

Get stock-market exposure without buying single stocks

At SCapitalFX you can trade forex, gold, energy, crypto and stock indices from one account. Indices like the US 500 (S&P 500), US30 (Dow) and Nasdaq let you trade the direction of the whole stock market in a single position — a popular way to get equity exposure with the flexibility of CFDs.

Risk warning: Trading forex and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You could lose some or all of your invested capital.

Frequently asked questions

Is forex riskier than stocks?

Forex is often more volatile in the short term and the use of higher leverage increases risk. With disciplined risk management, both can be traded responsibly.

Can I trade forex with less money than stocks?

Usually yes — you can start forex from $10 with micro lots, while building a stock portfolio often needs more capital.

Can I trade stocks at SCapitalFX?

You can trade major stock indices (like the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq) for broad market exposure, alongside forex, gold, energy and crypto.

Which should a beginner start with?

If you want flexible, low-cost, short-term trading, forex is a common first step. Practise on a demo before risking real money.

Start trading today

Open your account or a free demo and explore forex and indices side by side. See all markets and conditions here.

Every time you open a trade, there is a small built-in cost called the spread. Understanding it is one of the easiest ways to trade smarter and keep more of your profits. This guide explains what the spread is, how it is measured, why it changes, and how to pay less.

What is the spread in forex?

The spread is the difference between the buy price (ask) and the sell price (bid) of a market. When you open a trade you start slightly in the negative by exactly this amount — so the spread is effectively your cost of entry.

Example: if EUR/USD is quoted as 1.0800 / 1.0801, the spread is 1 pip. You buy at 1.0801 and could immediately sell at 1.0800 — the 1-pip gap is the cost.

How is the spread measured?

In forex the spread is measured in pips (see what is a pip). On gold, indices and crypto it is measured as a price gap in dollars or points. The tighter (smaller) the spread, the less you pay to trade.

What a spread costs you

Cost = spread × pip value × lots. On 1 standard lot of EUR/USD (where 1 pip = $10), a 1-pip spread costs about $10 to enter a trade. On a micro lot it is just $0.10.

Why do spreads change?

• Liquidity: major pairs like EUR/USD have the tightest spreads; exotic pairs are wider.
• Volatility: spreads can widen during big news or thin markets.
• Trading session: spreads are usually tightest during the busy London–New York overlap.
• Account type: Raw-spread accounts show near-zero spreads plus a commission; Standard accounts bundle the cost into a slightly wider spread.

Spreads at SCapitalFX

You choose how you pay your spread cost:

• Standard account: spreads from 1.0 pip on EUR/USD, with no commission — simple, all-in pricing.
• Raw account: spreads from 0.0 pips on EUR/USD plus a small $6 round-turn commission — usually cheaper for active traders.

See the full breakdown in Standard vs Raw account.

How to pay less in spreads

• Trade liquid major pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD) rather than exotics.
• Trade during active sessions when spreads are tightest — see best time to trade.
• Use a Raw account if you trade often or in size.
• Avoid trading right into major news, when spreads can widen.

Risk warning: Trading forex and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You could lose some or all of your invested capital.

Frequently asked questions

Is the spread the only cost of trading?

On a Standard account, the spread is your main cost. On a Raw account you pay a smaller spread plus a fixed commission. Holding trades overnight may also incur a swap fee.

What is a good spread in forex?

For EUR/USD, anything around 1 pip or below is competitive. Raw accounts can offer near 0.0 pips plus commission.

Why did my spread suddenly get wider?

Usually because of low liquidity or high volatility — often around major news or at the daily rollover.

Standard or Raw — which has the lower cost?

For frequent or larger trades, Raw is usually cheaper once you include commission. For small or occasional trades, Standard is simpler.

Start trading with tight spreads

Open your account or a free demo and see SCapitalFX spreads live. Explore all markets and conditions here.

If you trade forex, you will hear the word “pip” constantly — it is how profit, loss, spreads and risk are all measured. The good news: it is simple once you see it. This guide explains what a pip is, how to work out its value, and why it matters, with clear examples.

What is a pip?

A pip (“percentage in point”) is the smallest standard price move in a currency pair. For most pairs it is the 4th decimal place, or 0.0001.

For example, if EUR/USD moves from 1.0800 to 1.0801, that is a 1-pip move. From 1.0800 to 1.0850 is a 50-pip move.

Pips vs pipettes

Most modern brokers, including SCapitalFX, quote an extra decimal (the 5th) for more precision. That smaller unit is a pipette (one-tenth of a pip). So a price of 1.08005 shows 1.0800 (pips) plus a 5 (pipettes). When traders talk about moves and spreads, they almost always mean pips.

What about JPY pairs?

For pairs that include the Japanese yen (like USD/JPY), a pip is the 2nd decimal place (0.01) instead of the 4th, because the yen is quoted differently. So USD/JPY moving from 150.00 to 150.01 is a 1-pip move.

How much is a pip worth?

A pip’s cash value depends on your trade size (lot). For pairs quoted in US dollars, the standard values are:

So if you buy 1 mini lot of EUR/USD and it rises 20 pips, that is 20 × $1 = +$20. The same 20-pip move on a micro lot is just $2 — which is why beginners start with micro lots.

Why pips matter

• Profit and loss are counted in pips.
• The spread (your main trading cost) is measured in pips — see what is the spread.
• Risk management works in pips: your stop-loss distance in pips, times your pip value, equals your money at risk.

At SCapitalFX, EUR/USD spreads start from just 1.0 pip on a Standard account and 0.0 pips on a Raw account — so you keep more of every pip you make. Compare them in Standard vs Raw.

Risk warning: Trading forex on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You could lose some or all of your invested capital.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pip in simple terms?

It is the smallest standard price move in a currency pair — usually the 4th decimal place (0.0001) — and it is how profit and loss are measured.

How much is 1 pip worth?

About $10 per standard lot, $1 per mini lot, and $0.10 per micro lot for US-dollar-quoted pairs.

What is the difference between a pip and a pipette?

A pipette is one-tenth of a pip (the 5th decimal). Brokers show it for extra pricing precision.

How many pips is a good daily target?

There is no fixed number — focus on a positive risk-to-reward ratio (for example risking 20 pips to make 40) rather than chasing a pip count.

Put it into practice

Open an account or a free demo and watch pips add up in real time. New here? Start with our forex for beginners guide.