Gold (XAUUSD) Rebates: How Cashback Works for Gold Traders

For many active traders, gold (XAUUSD) is the main instrument. It moves a lot, it is liquid, and it is expensive to trade compared with major currency pairs. That makes the rebate on gold worth checking separately.

Why gold rebates differ from FX

• Lot size. On most platforms, 1 lot of XAUUSD is 100 troy ounces. A $1.00 move in the gold price is worth about $100 on one lot.
• Spread in dollars. Gold spreads are quoted in price units (for example 0.20 = 20 cents). A 20-cent spread on 1 lot is about $20 per round turn — usually far more than EURUSD.
• Broker payouts. Because the broker earns more per gold lot, IB payments on gold are often higher too, so the rebate you receive can be higher than on FX.

Brokers also define contract sizes differently, so always confirm the lot size in the broker's contract specifications.

How gold rebates are quoted

You will usually see one of:

• $ per lot — for example "$11.20 per lot" on XAUUSD.
• % of spread or commission — common on standard accounts where the cost is in the spread.

On our broker pages, look for the "Rebate by instrument" table. When a broker pays a different rate on gold, it is listed there separately from FX.

Worked example

Assume a standard account with a 20-cent average gold spread and a rebate of $11.20 per lot.

Spread cost per lot ≈ 0.20 × 100 oz = $20.00 Net cost after rebate ≈ $20.00 − $11.20 = $8.80 per lot

Trading 40 lots of gold a month at that rate returns about $448 in rebates. These figures illustrate the arithmetic; the actual spread and rate depend on the broker and account type.

Tips for gold traders

• Compare net cost, not the rebate alone. A broker with a tighter gold spread and a smaller rebate can be cheaper overall. See Raw vs Standard.
• Watch news spreads. Gold spreads widen sharply around US data releases; your average cost can be higher than the quoted "from" spread.
• Check leverage limits. Regulators and brokers often apply lower leverage to gold than to FX.
• Risk first. Gold's volatility cuts both ways. A rebate lowers costs; it does not reduce market risk.

Find a gold-friendly broker

Filter the broker list by regulator and platform, open the broker page and check the instrument table, then compare finalists in compare.