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What is Swap?

Updated October 17, 2026

A swap is the interest you pay or earn for holding a trade open overnight.

When you keep a trade past the daily rollover, your broker charges or pays a small fee called a swap.

It comes from the interest rate difference between the two currencies. Some trades earn a bit, most cost a bit.

For quick trades it doesn't matter much. For trades held weeks, swaps can eat a real chunk of profit.

Example

Holding a gold buy for 10 nights could cost several dollars in swaps on a small lot.

Questions people ask

Is there triple swap?

Yes, most brokers charge three days of swap on Wednesday night to cover the weekend.

What's a swap free account?

An account with no overnight interest, often called an Islamic account, though other fees may apply.

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