Glossary · Trading basics

Payout

The profit a winning fixed-payout trade earns, as a percentage of the stake; on Sky Trade it is shown before opening and fixed for the trade.

By Sky Trade editorial teamUpdated November 5, 2026

The payout is the profit a winning trade earns, expressed as a percentage of the stake. An 80% payout on a $10 stake means a win returns $18: your $10 back plus $8 profit. A loss costs the full $10.

The key point is that the payout is always below 100%. Wins earn less than losses cost, so a trader who is right exactly half the time slowly loses money. The higher the payout, the lower the break-even win rate you need — which is why a glance at the payout belongs in every pre-trade check.

On Sky Trade each instrument shows its payout before you open a trade, and that figure is locked for the trade once it is opened. Payouts drift slowly over time within a range of 20%–94%, and the terminal can warn you when the payout changes. A higher payout does not make an instrument easier to predict; it only changes the arithmetic of wins and losses.

See why most beginners lose for the full maths, or plug your own numbers into the profit calculator.

Example

At an 82% payout, ten $10 trades with 5 wins and 5 losses give 5 × $8.20 − 5 × $10 = −$9: a loss despite a 50% win rate.

Learn more in the academy

Related terms

Practise first, then decide

Every Sky Trade account comes with a $10,000 demo balance on the same prices and payouts as the real account. Create an account or read how the demo works.

Create an account About the demo account