Ask an established broker where their clients come from and the answer is usually partners: introducing brokers, affiliates, signal providers, trading educators and community owners who already have the trust of traders. Paid ads for forex and CFDs are expensive, restricted on most big ad networks and slow to pay back. Partners are paid when they deliver.
Most guides on this topic are written for IBs who want to earn. This one is written for you, the broker designing the programme.
IBs and affiliates are not the same
- Introducing brokers usually bring a smaller number of active traders they know personally or through a community, and stay involved. They are typically paid on trading activity, for example a rebate per lot.
- Affiliates are marketers: websites, comparison sites, social media and paid traffic. They usually want a one-off payment per qualified client, known as CPA (cost per acquisition).
Most brokers run both side by side, because they suit different partners.
The main commission models
| Model | How it pays | Typical 2026 range | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per lot rebate | A fixed amount per standard lot traded by referred clients | About $2 to $15 per lot, by instrument and tier | IBs with active traders |
| Spread share | A share of the spread or commission revenue those clients generate | A percentage agreed per partner | Long-term IB partners |
| CPA | A one-off fee when a referred client deposits and meets conditions | Low hundreds to $1,000+ per qualified client | Affiliates and media |
| Hybrid | A smaller CPA plus a smaller ongoing rebate | Negotiated | Partners who want both |
Ranges come from published IB guides and broker partner pages (Track360, Quadcode and others, 2026). Your own numbers must come from your margins: never pay a partner more per client than that client is likely to generate.
How to set rates you can afford
Start from your revenue per lot. If your average spread and commission bring in, say, $10 per standard lot on major pairs, a $4 rebate leaves room for your costs. A $9 rebate does not. Work out the numbers per instrument, because gold, indices and crypto earn differently from EUR/USD.
For CPA, look at what a typical depositing client is worth to you over six to twelve months and pay a fraction of that. Then add conditions: a minimum first deposit, a minimum number of lots or trading days, and a hold period before payment. Our explainer on spreads, leverage and broker revenue helps with the first part of that calculation.
Multi-tier partners
A multi-tier programme pays a partner a smaller commission on the clients of sub-partners they recruit. It is a strong way to grow a network in markets where IBs work through communities, but it multiplies your costs. Cap the number of levels, set the override rates from your margin, and make sure your system can track the tree automatically; nobody wants to calculate three levels of commission in a spreadsheet.
Fraud and abuse to plan for
- Self-referrals where a partner opens accounts for themselves to earn rebates on their own trading.
- Churning: excessive trading pushed by an IB to earn rebates, which hurts clients and your reputation.
- Fake or duplicate sign-ups aimed at CPA payouts. Pay CPA only after KYC, a real deposit and real trading.
- Misleading promotion: guaranteed profits or fake results posted under your name. Your partner agreement must forbid it, because regulators will treat it as your marketing.
What your platform needs to support
- Unique referral links and automatic attribution of clients to partners
- Commission rates per partner, with accrual calculated automatically
- A partner portal where IBs see their clients and earnings without emailing you
- Approval and payment of partner commissions from the back office
- Reporting by partner, so you can see which ones bring active, depositing clients
How this works on FirmForge
Every FirmForge plan includes a refer-a-friend programme for clients and a commission rate per manager, with referred clients and commission tracked in the CRM. When partners need their own dashboard and referral link, the IB/Affiliate Portal adds a partner portal from the Marketplace for $149 a month, with configurable commission rates and automatic tracking of referred clients.
If you also want to attract traders who follow others, copy trading is available as a $99 a month module. See the white label broker platform for how referrals fit with deposits, account tiers and KYC.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IB programme in forex?
An introducing broker programme pays partners who refer traders to a broker. IBs are usually paid per lot their clients trade, or a share of the spread and commission revenue those clients generate.
How much commission do forex IBs get?
Per lot rebates typically range from about $2 to $15 per standard lot depending on the instrument, the broker and the IB tier. CPA deals for affiliates often range from the low hundreds to over $1,000 per qualified depositing client.
Is CPA or rebate better for a new broker?
Rebates cost you only when clients trade, so they are safer for a new broker. CPA brings faster growth from affiliates but needs strict conditions to avoid paying for clients who never trade.
What is a multi-tier IB programme?
A structure where a partner earns an extra commission on clients brought in by sub-partners they recruited. It helps a network grow but multiplies your commission costs, so cap the levels and rates.
Does FirmForge include an IB programme?
Every plan includes client referrals and a commission rate per manager. A full partner portal with its own login and referral links is available as the IB/Affiliate Portal module for $149 a month.