XM Trades Excluded From Cashback: 5-Minute Rule, Close By and More

Forex cashback is not paid on every trade you place. It comes out of the commission the broker pays to the introducer, and the broker defines which trades count. This guide goes through the exclusions in XMTrading's publicly available partner (introducer) program terms, explains what each one means in practice, and shows how they affect your cashback through CB-Dogs. For the account side of things, see the XM broker page.

Key takeaways

• XMTrading's public partner terms do not count these trades for IB commission: trades lasting 5 minutes or less, trades closed with Close By or Multiple Close By, churning, trading on a no-deposit bonus, accounts with chargebacks or refunds, fraud traffic, and the introducer's own accounts.
• CB-Dogs pays 60% of the IB commission XMTrading actually pays for your account. A trade that earns the introducer nothing earns you no cashback either.
• If you hedge and care about cashback, close the two positions normally instead of using Close By. If you scalp, trades need to stay open for more than 5 minutes to count.
• EAs are fine. The terms say EA scalping is allowed as long as it is not churning, meaning trades made for the sole purpose of generating commission.
• Profit or loss does not matter. Cashback depends on the volume of eligible trades, not on whether they won.

Why exclusions matter for cashback

CB-Dogs is an introducer for XMTrading. When an account linked to us trades, XMTrading pays us an IB commission per standard lot (round turn). We pass 60% of the commission we actually receive back to you. Current figures are managed in one place on the site and may change:

The consequence is simple. If XMTrading does not count a trade for IB commission, there is nothing for us to share, and we do not pay it out of our own pocket. It is the same reason cashback does not depend on whether a trade wins or loses; see cashback on losing trades.

1. Trades lasting 5 minutes or less

The terms exclude trades with a duration of 5 minutes or less, measured from open to close. A trade closed within 5 minutes of opening earns the introducer no commission, so it earns you no cashback.

Practical points:

• This mostly affects scalpers and anyone who closes fast on news spikes. A strategy built on 1 to 3 minute trades can end up with little or no cashback.
• If your strategy genuinely needs short holds, assume those trades will not count and leave cashback out of your cost estimate for them.
• Never lengthen trades only to collect cashback. A worse exit costs far more than the cashback is worth.

Our guide to forex rebates for scalpers goes deeper on how holding time interacts with rebates.

2. Close By and Multiple Close By

Trades closed with the platform's Close By or Multiple Close By function are excluded. Close By is the MetaTrader function that closes a position against an opposite position in the same instrument, often used to close a hedge in one step.

Practical advice:

• If you hold a hedge and care about cashback, close each position normally, one at a time, instead of using Close By.
• Closing normally can mean paying the spread on both closes, and the market can move between them. Weigh that against the cashback before you decide.
• Hedging itself is allowed within an account at XMTrading. The exclusion is about how a position is closed, not about hedging. Our XM hedging rules article covers what is and is not allowed.

3. Churning

Churning means trades executed for the sole purpose of generating commissions. The terms exclude them, and XMTrading may also place time limitations on clients who open and close instantly to generate commissions.

Heavy, active trading with a real strategy is not churning. The test is purpose: opening and closing positions with no trading logic, only to collect rebates, is the problem. Combined with the 5-minute rule, such trades would not count anyway.

EAs are allowed. The terms say EA scalping is allowed if it is not churning. If your EA trades a real strategy, you can run it on an account linked to CB-Dogs. CB-Dogs itself does not provide EAs, signals or copy trading; you run your own. See forex rebates for EA traders for more.

4. Trading on a no-deposit bonus

Trading done on a no-deposit trading bonus, and profits from it, is excluded from IB commission unless the client deposits and trades with own funds. XMTrading offers a 13,000 JPY account-opening bonus on all account types (terms apply). If you trade only with that bonus, there is no commission for the introducer and no cashback for you. Once you deposit and trade with your own money, trades made with your own funds are the ones that count.

Deposit bonuses are a related case: when a bonus supports the margin, commission is reduced in proportion. We cover this in XM bonus and cashback.

5. Accounts with chargebacks or refunds

Accounts with chargebacks or refunds are not counted. In plain terms, if a deposit is reversed through your card issuer or refunded, the account can become ineligible for IB commission. Deposit only from your own payment methods and do not dispute a payment you made yourself.

6. Fraud traffic

Commission is not paid on accounts that come from fraud traffic. For an ordinary trader using their real identity and their own funds, this does not apply.

7. The introducer's own accounts (self-rebate)

The introducer's own accounts are excluded from IB commission. This stops an introducer from earning commission on their own trading. It does not change how CB-Dogs works for you: your account, opened through our link, is a client account and is eligible like any other.

How this changes your real cashback

A trade can show in your account history and still earn nothing. CB-Dogs calculates cashback from the commission XMTrading actually reports as paid, so that figure is the one that decides.

Quick checklist

• Expect trades closed within 5 minutes to earn nothing.
• Close hedges normally instead of with Close By or Multiple Close By if cashback matters to you.
• Trade your own strategy, with or without an EA, and avoid mechanical open-close loops.
• Deposit your own funds if you want trades to count; see XM bonus and cashback.
• Open the account through the CB-Dogs link and link it in your member area so trades are tracked.

FAQ

Do trades under 5 minutes earn cashback at XM?

No. XMTrading's public partner terms exclude trades lasting 5 minutes or less from IB commission. CB-Dogs pays 60% of the commission actually received, so such trades earn no cashback.

Should I avoid Close By to keep my cashback?

Can I use an EA with XM cashback?

Does cashback apply to trading with the 13,000 JPY bonus?

Where can I see the exact rates?