Margin Calculator
Find the exact USD margin a broker locks up to open a position. Industry-standard three-case formula — correct for USD-quote pairs, USD-base pairs (USD/JPY/CAD/CHF) and cross pairs alike.
Enter your trade details
Pick the instrument and lot size, then current price.
The formula
margin_USD = lots × contract × entry / leverage
USD-base (USDJPY/CAD/CHF):
margin_USD = lots × contract / leverage
Cross pairs:
margin_USD = lots × contract × base_to_USD / leverage
where base_to_USD is derived from entry × conv_rate (or ÷)
Frequently asked questions
How is margin calculated?⌄
Margin in USD = (lot size × contract size × base-to-USD rate) ÷ leverage. For USD-quote pairs like EUR/USD the entry price IS the base/USD rate, so the formula collapses to (lots × contract × entry) ÷ leverage. For USD-base pairs (USD/JPY, USD/CAD, USD/CHF) the base IS already USD, so it's just (lots × contract) ÷ leverage — price-independent. For cross pairs (EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY) we derive the base/USD rate from the cross price and the conversion pair.
Why is USD/JPY margin the same at any price?⌄
Because USD is the base currency of the pair, one standard lot is always 100,000 USD of position. At 1:100 leverage that's always $1,000 margin — the JPY quote doesn't change how much USD you're committing.
What about EUR/GBP — why does it ask for a GBPUSD rate?⌄
Margin must be expressed in USD. For EUR/GBP the position is in EUR, which we need to convert to USD. We derive EUR/USD from EUR/GBP × GBP/USD. So providing the GBP/USD rate lets us compute the correct USD margin.
What's the difference between this and the margin output from the Position Size calculator?⌄
The Position Size calculator computes margin as a side-effect of sizing the position based on % risk. This Margin calculator takes the lot size as input directly — useful when you already know your size and just want to check the margin requirement at different leverages.
Does this account for hedged positions, swap, or rollover?⌄
No — this is the initial-margin requirement for a single position. Hedged positions, locked margin, and maintenance margin are broker-specific. Always cross-check the calculator output against your broker's terminal before placing real trades.
Size your position first
Margin depends on lot size. Calculate the optimal lot size from your account size and % risk first, then check the margin.
Position size calculator