Home › Glossary

What is Pending Order?

Updated October 18, 2026

A pending order is any order set to open later when price hits a level you choose.

Pending orders include buy limit, sell limit, buy stop and sell stop.

They let you plan trades ahead and not sit at the screen.

You can add a stop loss and take profit right when you place them.

Example

Before bed you set a buy limit on gold with a stop loss and take profit already attached.

Questions people ask

Do pending orders expire?

You can set an expiry, or leave them until you cancel.

Do they use margin before filling?

No, margin is only used once the order fills.

Related

Fresh from the site

Rather have AI trade for you?Get the free guide on hands free AI trading accounts. Send me the free guide →

Work out your own number with the quit your job calculator, or take the passive income quiz.

All guides · Answers · Glossary · Compare · Web stories · Wallpapers · Privacy · Terms