XM Standard vs Ultra Low — Which Account Earns More Cashback?
Short answer: the Standard account pays roughly two to three times more cashback per lot — $9.00 on Gold versus $3.70 on Ultra Low, $4.80 versus $1.80 on EURUSD, $10.60 versus $4.20 on BTCUSD. The Ultra Low account gives up part of that cashback in exchange for a narrower spread. Neither account charges a per-trade commission, so the decision comes down to one question: is the spread you save on Ultra Low worth more than the cashback you give up? For most Gold traders it is not. The full tables and the calculation are below.
First, what actually differs between the two accounts
XM's Standard and Ultra Low accounts trade the same instruments on the same platforms with the same execution. The differences that matter for cashback are:
- Spread. Standard spreads are the wider, "all-in" kind (around 1.0–1.6 pips on the majors). Ultra Low spreads start from around 0.6 pip. Both are variable.
- Commission. Neither account charges a commission per trade. Your cost is the spread only. (XM's commission-based account is the Zero account, offered by some XM entities only — it is not part of this comparison.)
- Symbol names. Ultra Low symbols end with a hash: GOLD#, EURUSD#, BTCUSD#. That suffix is how the cashback rate is matched to the account type.
- Partner commission. XM pays partners less on Ultra Low volume, because the spread that funds it is smaller. That is why the cashback — which is a share of that partner commission — is lower on Ultra Low.
Cashback rates: Standard account (per lot)
| Instrument | Cashback / lot |
|---|---|
| GOLD (XAUUSD) · XAUEUR | $9.00 |
| BTCUSD | $10.60 |
| EURUSD · AUDUSD · USDJPY · USDCAD | $4.80 |
| GBPUSD · GBPJPY · USDCHF · AUDCAD · AUDCHF · CADJPY · CHFJPY · EURAUD · EURCAD · EURGBP · EURJPY · NZDCAD · NZDUSD | $5.30 |
| GBPAUD · EURCHF · EURNZD · GBPCAD · GBPCHF · NZDJPY | $6.40 |
| GBPNZD | $6.90 |
Cashback rates: Ultra Low account (per lot, symbols ending #)
| Instrument | Cashback / lot |
|---|---|
| USDJPY# | $1.60 |
| EURUSD# | $1.80 |
| GBPUSD# · AUDJPY# · AUDNZD# · AUDUSD# · EURCAD# · EURJPY# · USDCAD# · USDCHF# | $2.70 |
| GOLD# · AUDCAD# · AUDCHF# · CADCHF# · CADJPY# · CHFJPY# · EURAUD# · EURGBP# · EURNZD# · GBPAUD# · GBPCAD# · GBPJPY# · NZDUSD# | $3.70 |
| BTCUSD# | $4.20 |
Side by side: the same trade on each account
| 1 lot of… | Standard cashback | Ultra Low cashback | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOLD | $9.00 | $3.70 | Standard +$5.30 |
| EURUSD | $4.80 | $1.80 | Standard +$3.00 |
| GBPUSD | $5.30 | $2.70 | Standard +$2.60 |
| USDJPY | $4.80 | $1.60 | Standard +$3.20 |
| BTCUSD | $10.60 | $4.20 | Standard +$6.40 |
How to decide: spread saved vs cashback given up
Because neither account charges commission, the comparison is clean. For any instrument, work out how much the narrower Ultra Low spread saves you per lot, in dollars, and compare it with the cashback difference in the table above.
- Gold. The cashback difference is $5.30 per lot. On a 100-oz Gold lot, every $0.01 of spread is worth $1.00, so Ultra Low would need to be more than 5.3 cents tighter than Standard on Gold — consistently — just to break even. Check XM's live spreads for both accounts at the times you trade; in most sessions the Standard account plus $9 cashback is the cheaper way to trade Gold.
- EURUSD. The difference is $3.00 per lot. One pip on a standard lot is $10, so Ultra Low needs to be at least 0.3 pip tighter than Standard to match the cashback. It often is — which is why some Forex scalpers prefer Ultra Low even with the lower rate.
- BTCUSD. The difference is $6.40 per lot. Compare it with XM's live spread on BTCUSD vs BTCUSD# for your typical trading hours.
Rule of thumb: Gold and metals traders are usually better off on Standard; high-frequency Forex scalpers should measure the live spread gap before choosing. The cashback calculator lets you put in your own monthly lots for either account and see the annual difference.
Can you have both account types?
Yes. XM allows several trading accounts under one login, so many traders keep a Standard account for Gold and an Ultra Low account for Forex scalping, both registered under partner code CBT90. Cashback is calculated per account according to its symbol suffix, and all of it lands in the same MyWallet. If your current account was opened without the code, see how to add an account under CBT90.
What does not change between the accounts
- Cashback starts at 0.01 lot and has no cap on either account.
- It is credited to your XM MyWallet the next day on either account, whether the trade won or lost.
- Your spreads, leverage and execution are identical to any other XM client on that account type.
CashBackXM is an independent cashback service and an official XM partner (code CBT90). We are not XM, we never hold your funds, and XM credits the cashback directly to your own MyWallet where you can see every payout.
Pick the account. Keep the cashback.
Open Standard or Ultra Low under official XM partner code CBT90 — up to $9/lot on Gold, paid to your MyWallet the next day.
XM Standard vs Ultra Low cashback — questions traders ask
Does the XM Ultra Low account charge commission?
No. Standard and Ultra Low are both spread-only accounts — XM charges no commission per trade on either. Ultra Low simply has a narrower spread. The commission-based XM account is the Zero account, offered by certain XM entities only.
Why is cashback lower on Ultra Low?
Cashback is a share of the partner commission XM pays on your trading, and XM pays partners less on Ultra Low volume because the spread that funds it is smaller. Gold is $9.00 per lot on Standard and $3.70 on Ultra Low (GOLD#).
Which account is better for Gold trading with cashback?
Usually Standard. The cashback gap on Gold is $5.30 per lot, so Ultra Low would have to be more than 5.3 cents tighter on the Gold spread, consistently, just to break even. Compare XM's live spreads for your trading hours to confirm.
Can I get cashback on both a Standard and an Ultra Low account?
Yes. Open both under partner code CBT90 from the same XM login. Each account is paid according to its own symbol suffix (GOLD vs GOLD#), and all cashback goes to the same MyWallet.
Do Micro accounts earn cashback too?
Yes. Micro accounts follow the Standard rate table scaled to micro lot size, and the same conditions apply: from 0.01 lot, no cap, credited to MyWallet the next day.