Forex Bonus Turnover Requirements Explained
The turnover requirement is the single biggest factor in whether a deposit bonus is worth claiming — and the one the marketing buries. Here’s how to read it.
Last updated 28 July 2026 · Reviewed by Tim Morris
What a turnover requirement is
It’s the trading volume you must complete before a broker releases the bonus — or the profit you made trading with it. Until you hit it, the money is locked. Volume is measured in lots (one standard lot = 100,000 units of the base currency).
How brokers express it (and why it’s confusing)
The same idea is written several different ways, which makes offers hard to compare:
- A multiple of the bonus — e.g. “trade 3× the bonus in lots.” See InstaForex (not yet through our vetting), which also uses a custom “InstaForex lot” (0.1 of a standard lot).
- A share of the bonus in lots — e.g. FreshForex (not yet through our vetting) requires closed volume equal to 35% of the bonus before credit converts.
- Lots per unit of bonus — e.g. Tickmill: one standard lot per $3 of bonus.
- A flat volume + trade count — e.g. XM’s no-deposit bonus: a small number of lots plus a minimum number of trades.
Bonus
$100
Turnover rule
set by the broker
Volume to trade
before any cash unlocks
Example (illustrative): a $100 bonus with a “trade 30 lots” rule means ~30 standard lots (≈ $3,000,000 in volume) before a single cent converts to cash — and that trading costs you spread on every lot.
Get your offer’s real number → Bonus Value CalculatorWhy it exists
Brokers earn the spread and commission on every lot you trade. The turnover requirement guarantees they collect that trading revenue in return for the bonus. In other words, the bonus isn’t free — you pay for it in fees as you clear the volume.
The real cost of clearing it
Each standard lot costs you roughly the spread plus any commission on a round turn — often on the order of a few dollars to ten-plus, depending on the instrument and account. Multiply that by the lots required and you get the true cost of the bonus. If that cost approaches or exceeds the bonus, the offer only makes sense if you were going to trade that volume anyway. Work it out for any offer with our value calculator, and see exactly how many lots it takes to clear a bonus.
Frequently asked questions
› What is a bonus turnover requirement?
It is the amount of trading volume — usually measured in lots — you must complete before a broker lets you withdraw the bonus or the profits made with it. Until you hit it, the bonus and often its profits are locked.
› Why do brokers set turnover requirements?
Because they earn the spread and commission on every lot you trade. The turnover requirement guarantees the broker collects trading revenue in exchange for the bonus — which is why a “free” bonus is really paid for in fees.
› What is a reasonable turnover requirement?
Lower is better. A requirement you would meet from normal trading is reasonable; one that forces hundreds of lots to unlock a few hundred dollars is not. Always convert it to lots and estimate the spread cost before deciding.