IB Commission Models: Per-Lot vs Revenue Share (and What It Means for Cashback)
Brokers pay introducing brokers either a fixed amount per lot, a share of the broker's revenue from the client, a one-off fee per client (CPA), or a mix; since CB-Dogs pays 60% of the actual IB commission, cashback per lot is steady where the commission is fixed and varies where it is revenue-based.
By CB-Dogs Editorial4 min read
Disclosure: CB-Dogs receives an advertising (referral) fee — sometimes called an IB commission — from brokers for accounts opened or linked through us, and returns part of it to you as cashback, the same model used by cashback and points sites. This does not change your trading costs.
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When a forex cashback site says it returns part of its commission to you, the next question is how that commission is calculated in the first place. Brokers do not all pay their introducing brokers (IBs) the same way, and the difference changes how predictable your cashback is. This article compares the main IB commission models in neutral terms and then shows what each means for a trader.
Key takeaways
- IB commission usually comes in four forms: fixed per lot, revenue share, CPA (one-off per client) and hybrids.
- A fixed per-lot model pays the IB a set amount per lot, usually depending on account type, so the amount does not change with spreads.
- A revenue-share model pays the IB a percentage of what the broker earns from the client's trades, so the amount per lot changes with spread and instrument.
- CB-Dogs passes on 60% of the actual IB commission it receives, so cashback per lot is stable at XMTrading and variable at Exness.
- Compare brokers on the actual commission you would be paid, not on the model's name.
If you need a refresher on who an IB is, start with what a forex introducing broker is.
Model 1: fixed amount per lot
In a fixed per-lot model, the broker pays the IB a set amount for each lot a referred client trades. The amount is usually set per account type, and it does not depend on the spread you happened to trade at or on the instrument, within the limits of the broker's own schedule.
XMTrading is an example of this style: the rebate is set per lot by account type (Standard, Micro, Zero, KIWAMI). The rates for each type are shown in the table below rather than typed here, so they stay current.
| Account type | Rebate / lot (USDT) |
|---|---|
| StandardSpread-based account, no commission. | 9.0 |
| MicroRebate is calculated per 100,000 units of micro-lot volume (i.e. the same per-lot rate as Standard, scaled to micro-lot size). | 9.0 |
| KiwamiXM's tightened-spread account tier available in select regions. | 6.0 |
| ZeroCommission-based account. Rebate is paid in addition to the raw spread — commission you pay is unaffected. | 4.5 |
Provisional rate
Pros for a trader: easy to predict. If you know your monthly lots, you know your cashback.
Cons: the amount is set by the broker's schedule, so it is not a measure of what the broker earned from your particular trades.
Model 2: revenue share
In a revenue-share model, the IB receives a percentage of the revenue the broker earns from the referred client's trading, typically from the spread. The percentage may depend on the account type and on the IB's partner level.
Exness is described in its partner materials as revenue-share based for several account types: the IB earns a share of what Exness earns from your trades. Because the revenue depends on the spread and the instrument, the amount paid per lot differs between, say, a major currency pair and gold, and it moves when spreads move. Some Exness account types instead pay a fixed amount per lot, so the picture varies by account type. We do not publish our partner-level percentages here; the current estimated per-lot figures for each account type are shown in the table below.
| Account type | Rebate / lot (USDT) |
|---|---|
| StandardNo separate commission — Exness pays partners a share of the spread. The estimate below is for EURUSD at our current partner rank; GBPUSD and gold (XAUUSD) typically pay more per lot, tighter-spread pairs less. Rates rise automatically as our trading volume with Exness grows. | 0.96 |
| ProNo separate commission — Exness pays partners a share of the spread, at a lower percentage than Standard. We don't yet have a reliable per-instrument estimate for this account type, so no figure is shown; your cashback is still 60% of the actual commission Exness pays us. | 0.0 |
| ZeroCommission-based account with near-zero raw spreads. The estimate below is for EURUSD at our current partner rank; other instruments vary. Cashback is paid in addition to the raw spread and does not affect the commission you pay Exness. | 0.25 |
| Raw SpreadCommission-based account with raw interbank spreads. Exness pays partners a fixed amount per lot that varies by instrument; we don't yet have a reliable figure to show, so no estimate is listed — your cashback is still 60% of the actual commission Exness pays us. | 0.0 |
Provisional rate
Pros for a trader: the commission scales with how much the broker actually earns, and some instruments pay more.
Cons: harder to predict. Treat any per-lot figure as an estimate, because actual cashback is the actual commission times our share.
Model 3: CPA (cost per acquisition)
With CPA, the broker pays the IB a one-off fee for each new client who meets conditions such as a minimum deposit or a trading volume. It is paid once, not on every lot afterwards.
For the IB, it pays up front but stops paying when the client keeps trading. For a cashback site, it creates an incentive to attract new clients instead of rewarding existing ones. CB-Dogs does not use CPA: we are paid per trading activity, which is what funds ongoing cashback to you.
Model 4: hybrid
A hybrid mixes the above, for example a smaller CPA plus a per-lot or revenue-share element. Hybrids are common in IB programmes, and the terms vary by broker and by partner level. The same rule applies: read what is actually paid, not just the label.
| Model | What the IB is paid | Predictable per lot? | Used by CB-Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed per lot | Set amount per lot, by account type | Yes | Yes (XMTrading) |
| Revenue share | % of the broker's revenue from your trades | No, varies | Yes (Exness, some account types) |
| CPA | One-off fee per new client | Not applicable | No |
| Hybrid | Mix of the above | Partly | Depends on the broker |
What this means for your cashback
CB-Dogs pays 60% of the actual IB commission we receive on your trading. That single rule gives two practical outcomes:
- At XMTrading (fixed per lot): your cashback per lot is stable for a given account type. The same trade produces the same cashback month after month.
- At Exness (revenue-based on some types): your cashback per lot varies with the spread and instrument. A tight-spread major pair pays less commission than a wider-spread instrument. So the per-lot number you see is an estimate; the payout is 60% of whatever Exness actually paid us.
None of this makes one model better. A broker with a lower per-lot commission may still be cheaper overall if its spreads are tighter. What matters is your total cost: spread, commission, swap and the cashback together. For a side-by-side look, see Exness vs XM: which is better, and the broker pages for XM and Exness.
Withdrawals are in USDT on TRC20 only, from 10 USDT. A withdrawal under 50 USDT carries a 3 USDT fee and 50 USDT or more is free.
Per-lot pays a fixed amount for each lot traded, usually by account type. Revenue share pays a percentage of what the broker earns from the client's trades, so the amount per lot changes with spread and instrument.
Risk warning: forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of losing money. Cashback does not offset trading losses. Nothing here is investment advice.
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