Reviewed by the Partner Federation partnerships team, with two decades of combined experience in online trading and brokerage partnerships. Last updated September 2026.
What is spread share?
Spread share is a percentage of the broker’s spread — the difference between the buy and sell price — captured from a referred client’s trades, paid to the partner on an ongoing basis for as long as the client keeps trading. It’s one of three distinct ongoing payment models, alongside revenue share (a percentage of the broker’s overall net P&L) and lot rebate (a flat dollar amount per lot).
How spread share payouts work
- Partner shares a unique referral link or code, same acquisition mechanism as any other partnership model.
- A prospect signs up and starts trading through that link, tracked as the partner’s referral for the life of the account.
- The broker marks up the raw spread it gets from its own liquidity provider before passing pricing on to the client — this markup, measured in pips, is where the broker’s spread-based revenue comes from.
- The broker shares a percentage of that markup with the partner — typically 30–40% of the spread markup on each client trade — for as long as the client keeps trading.
For the mechanics of how and when that payout actually reaches you — methods, minimum thresholds, frequency, and currency — see Getting Paid: Payout Methods, Thresholds & Timing.
Worked example
Illustrative only — figures are industry-typical ranges from third-party sources, not a real broker’s published terms.
Say a broker marks up EUR/USD by 0.8 pips over its raw liquidity-provider price, and offers partners a 35% spread share. On a standard lot (where 1 pip is typically worth about $10), that 0.8-pip markup is worth roughly $8 per round-turn lot to the broker, of which the partner receives 35% — about $2.80 per lot. A referred client trading 20 lots a month would generate roughly $56/month for that partner, scaling with both trading volume and the size of the spread on the instruments they trade. Every calculator and checklist on the site, in one place: see the Tools & Resources page.
Rebate Calculator
Estimate ongoing earnings under a lot rebate or spread share model, based on your referred clients’ trading volume.
Spread Share vs. Revenue Share vs. Lot Rebate
| Spread Share | Revenue Share | Lot Rebate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basis | % of the broker's spread markup | % of broker's net P&L / revenue | Fixed $ per lot traded |
| Varies with | Spread size and trading volume | Client trading outcomes and broker profitability | Trading volume only |
| Typical range | 30–40% of spread markup | 20–40% of net revenue | $3–$12 per standard lot |
What determines spread share size
- The broker's raw spread markup — a broker with a wider raw spread has more markup available to share, so a lower percentage can still pay more in absolute terms than a higher percentage on a tighter-spread account
- Instrument and asset class — majors typically carry tighter spreads (less markup to share) than exotics, indices, or CFDs on less-liquid instruments
- Account type — standard-spread accounts have more markup built in to share than raw-spread/commission accounts, where the broker earns via a separate per-lot commission instead
- Partner's referred volume — larger IBs often negotiate better percentage terms than smaller ones
Who spread share suits best
Spread share suits partners referring clients on standard (non-raw-spread) accounts where the spread itself is the broker's main source of trading revenue. It's worth comparing spread size across brokers before judging a spread-share percentage in isolation — a broker offering a lower percentage on a wider spread can pay out more per lot than a higher percentage on a razor-thin one. Since spread share also scales with volume traded, it works the same way lot rebate does as a base for cashback — a partner can pass part of their per-lot spread-share earnings back to the client. See Revenue Share vs. Lot Rebate vs. Spread Share for how spread share stacks up against the other two ongoing models.
Pros and cons for partners
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Directly tied to a transparent, visible number (the spread) rather than an opaque internal P&L calculation | Harder to compare across brokers without knowing each one's actual spread size per instrument |
| Scales with both volume and instrument choice, rewarding partners whose clients trade wider-spread instruments | On raw-spread/commission accounts, there may be little or no spread markup to share at all |
| Simple to verify against the spread a trader actually sees on their platform | Same volume-manipulation fraud exposure as lot rebate and revenue share |
Compliance and fraud risk
Spread share shares the same fraud profile as lot rebate and revenue share — the incentive is to inflate trading volume on spread-generating instruments regardless of genuine trading intent. Full detail: Partner Fraud & Prohibited Practices.
Some brokers push this further still, widening the spread beyond their own standard pricing to fund an even higher partner payout — see Markups Explained for how that works and what it means for the client.
FAQ
What does spread share mean in forex affiliate marketing?
Spread share is a percentage of the broker's spread markup, captured from a referred client's trades, paid to the partner on an ongoing basis for as long as the client keeps trading.
How much do brokers pay for spread share in forex?
Typical industry ranges run 30–40% of the broker's spread markup per round-turn lot, though exact terms vary by broker, instrument, and account type.
Is spread share the same as revenue share?
No. Spread share is calculated specifically from the spread markup on each trade; revenue share is calculated from the broker's overall net revenue or P&L on the client, which can include spread, commission, and other sources.
Does spread share work on raw-spread accounts?
Typically less well — raw-spread accounts pass the liquidity provider's spread through with minimal markup and charge a separate per-lot commission instead, so there's less spread markup available to share.
Does spread share ever stop paying?
Only if the referred client stops trading, closes their account, or the partnership agreement ends.