What are broker fees really?
Every trade costs. Not much at first glance, but it adds up – often faster than you think. Here's an honest breakdown of what a broker charges and why your money is never lost, just parked elsewhere.
The spread – the silent fee
The spread is the difference between buy price and sell price. When you buy a currency pair, you pay a cent more than you could sell it back for. It looks small, but it hits on every single trade – when you open the position.
An example: you trade EUR/USD with a 1 pip spread. A standard lot equals 100,000 units. That's around 10 francs per trade, just for the spread. Trade 20 times a week and you pay 200 francs – without a single cent of commission being charged.
The commission – the open fee
Some brokers additionally charge a fixed commission per lot. Usual is 3 to 7 francs per standard lot traded. This fee is more honest because it's clearly on the statement. Brokers with commission usually offer tighter spreads – on the bottom line that can be cheaper than a «commission-free» broker with wide spreads.
The swap – the overnight fee
Anyone holding a position overnight pays or receives swap. It's the interest rate differential between the two traded currencies. On some pairs it costs several francs per night, on others it earns a small profit. For day traders swap doesn't matter; for position traders it does.
Payout and conversion fees
Often overlooked: anyone depositing in a currency other than francs loses between 0.5 and 2 percent on every conversion. Payouts too often cost 20 to 50 francs, especially at foreign brokers. Such fees creep into the side costs and are rarely openly communicated.
Where does the money go?
The spread mostly goes partly to the broker itself and to a larger extent to its liquidity provider – the banks that quote the price. The commission the broker keeps entirely. Swap is settled between the banks involved.
Part of this money is paid back by large brokers to introducers. That system is called rebate. As an individual trader you never see any of it – the refund flows to whoever brought the client. That's exactly where DualNet steps in: we recover that share and pass it on to you.
How much does an average trader pay?
An active retail trader with a CHF 10,000 account pays on average between 200 and 800 francs in fees per month. With bigger accounts and frequent trading, that goes into the thousands. That's money that flows out without any discussion – and that you can recover a large share of through a cashback system.
How we win back your broker fees.
The system behind it is no trick. It just uses a channel that normally stays unused – the rebate channel between broker and introducer. What normally stays with the introducer, we pass on to you.
The rebate – the unknown refund
Every larger broker has a partner program. Whoever introduces new clients gets back a fixed share of those clients' trading fees – usually between 30 and 80 percent of the spread or commission. This refund is called «rebate».
For the broker it's pure marketing math. Every franc paid to introducers previously brought ten francs of trading volume. The system has been working for decades and is fully legal.
Why don't traders normally see this money?
Because the rebate flows to whoever introduced the account. Anyone signing up directly with the broker has no introducer – the broker simply keeps the amount. Anyone coming via an introducer fills that introducer's account. In both cases the actual trader sees not a rappen.
What we do differently
DualNet is registered as an introducer with several brokers. We negotiate the rebate terms and route the biggest share of them straight to our clients. We keep only a small share for running the platform – transparent, no hidden costs.
The flow in three steps
You give us your existing account number at a partner broker – or open a new account through our link. Both are free and take only a few minutes.
You change nothing about your strategy, your broker or your account. The trading conditions stay identical.
Each month we receive the rebate statement from the broker and transfer your share directly to you – to your bank account, via Twint, PayPal or as a stablecoin.
How much do you get back?
That depends on the broker, the instrument traded and your volume. On forex pairs, 0.5 to 1 pip per lot is common – equal to 5 to 10 francs per standard lot. On metals and indices it's usually more. The live calculator on the home page shows the exact number for your broker.
Does this change anything about my trading?
No. Your execution, your spreads, your commissions stay exactly the same. The broker treats you technically like every other client. The only difference: at the end of the month you get back a share you would never have seen without us.
Why isn't this widely known?
Because brokers naturally have no interest in advertising this system. The more traders collect their rebate, the less stays with the broker. In Switzerland the market for cashback providers is also small – the larger providers sit in Cyprus or Asia and work opaquely.
Who offers trading cashback – and what do they really deliver?
The market for rebate providers is confusing. A few big names dominate, behind them dozens of small providers with often opaque terms. Here's who does what – and where the differences lie.
The large international providers
One of the oldest providers, based in the USA. Large broker network and good payout logic, but rebate rates have stayed at a medium level for years. Payout mostly in USD, processing sometimes slow.
Similar model, also US-oriented. Focus on a large number of broker partners, but often lower rebates per lot than the direct competitor.
Usually based in Asia or Eastern Europe. Aggressive rebates, but changing conditions and sometimes poor availability of support.
The Cypriot providers
A large share of rebate providers sits in Cyprus because many brokers are registered there. Advantage: short paths. Disadvantage: the client has little legal protection when things go wrong. Payouts can be delayed, contact people change often.
What's missing in Switzerland
In Switzerland there are hardly any serious cashback providers to this day. A Swiss trader who wants to join has to turn to foreign portals – with all the downsides on language, support, tax logic and payout. That's exactly the gap DualNet closes.
Where DualNet stands
| Criterion | Large providers | DualNet |
|---|---|---|
| Base | US / Cyprus / Asia | Switzerland |
| Support language | English | German, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai |
| Payout | USD / EUR | CHF, EUR, USD |
| Rebate transparency | often opaque | live calculator per broker |
| Your share | 50–70 % | up to 80 % |
| Payout frequency | monthly | monthly, weekly on request |
Why no ranking?
You'll see «Top 10» lists on many comparison sites. They're almost always bought – whichever provider pays most for the recommendation ends up on top. We deliberately skip such lists. Check for yourself instead: where does the provider sit? Which language? How transparent is the calculation? How fast is the payout?
The honest difference
Large international providers have more brokers in their network. Anyone hunting exotic brokers often finds more there. But anyone using one of the ten to fifteen reputable brokers we work with fares better and more comfortably with DualNet in almost all cases. Above all because payout in francs directly to your Swiss account is possible – without conversion loss.
Switzerland instead of the EU – why it matters for traders.
Whether a provider sits in Switzerland, in Cyprus or in Lithuania seems secondary at first glance. In practice the location decides how safe your money is, how transparent the statement runs and how the cashback behaves for tax purposes.
Legal certainty
Switzerland has been one of the safest financial locations in the world for decades. Contracts are handled under Swiss law, jurisdiction is at the company's seat, enforcement works and is predictable. In many EU border states – Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria – it's different. Even if you're in the right, the practical enforcement path is long and expensive.
An example: if a Cypriot cashback provider holds back your payout, you have to sue in Cyprus in a dispute. The costs almost always exceed the amount in dispute.
Data protection
With the revised data protection act since 2023, Switzerland has reached a level equivalent to the EU GDPR – stricter on some points, more practical on others. More important than the paper standard is that Swiss companies culturally place a different weight on data protection. Your broker data, your trading volumes and your account number are not resold at us – ever, to anyone.
Payout in francs – no detour
Anyone getting cashback from a foreign provider usually receives USD or EUR. By the time the money arrives in francs at the Swiss account, 0.5 to 2 percent of conversion loss is gone – on top of SWIFT fees, receiver fees, intermediary bank charges. A Swiss provider transfers directly in francs. You see exactly the amount on the account that the statement shows.
Tax clarity
In Switzerland cashback is not income from self-employment but a refund on fees paid. That means: in most cantons it is not taxable because it merely reduces part of your costs. A Swiss provider issues a statement that correctly reflects that logic. With foreign providers you often have to declare cashback as «foreign income» – with all the questions from the tax office that follow.
Language and reachability
When you spot an error on a statement, you want to reach someone on the phone who understands your question in German or French. With foreign providers you write a ticket in English and wait for days. With us you speak with a real person in Switzerland.
Where the EU is sometimes better
In the interest of honesty: on one point the EU has an advantage – the selection of regulated brokers is bigger because many are EU-registered. But that changes nothing about the cashback provider itself. You can trade with an EU-regulated broker and still settle the cashback via a Swiss introducer. That's exactly what we do.
FAQ – answered briefly and honestly.
The questions clients ask most often before signing up. Answers as short as possible, as precise as needed.
Is this legal?
Yes, fully. Rebate programs are openly documented at all major brokers. We are an official introducing partner and pass a share of the introducing commission back to our clients. It's a recognised business model that has existed for over twenty years.
Do I have to change my broker?
Only if your current broker is not in our partner network. For accounts that are already linked, a simple reassignment of the introducer code is enough – the broker does that free of charge.
Does anything change with my spreads or commissions?
No. The broker treats you technically the same. You get the exact same conditions as without an introducer.
How soon do I get my first payout?
You receive your first statement at the end of the calendar month in which you signed up. Payout follows within the first business days of the next month. From a cashback volume of CHF 1,000 per month, weekly payouts are possible.
Where and in what currency do I get paid?
We pay worldwide to any private bank account with an IBAN – whatever the country. In addition, all common crypto wallets (USDT, USDC, BTC) are possible. Payout currencies: CHF, EUR, USD, GBP, USDT. You choose during sign-up what suits you.
Do I have to tax cashback?
Cashback is not additional income but a refund on fees paid – a cost reduction. In most countries it's therefore not taxable for private trading. For commercial or professional traders it counts as reduced expenses. How exactly this is handled in your country, best clear briefly with your tax authority or accountant.
What happens to my data?
We only store what's needed for billing: name, email, broker account number, payout account. Your trading history reaches us from the broker in aggregated form (volume per instrument), never individual trades. We do not sell data. Ever.
Can I run several brokers in parallel?
Yes. Many of our active clients hold two to four accounts at different brokers in parallel. We consolidate the statements and pay out in one go.
Can I use the same email address for a second account?
Yes. You can register up to two different broker accounts with the same email address, including accounts at different brokers. Submit the signup form again for each account and select the relevant broker and account number. Confirm each signup using the link in its email; each account is recorded separately.
Is there a minimum volume?
No. Even if you trade only half a lot per month, you get the corresponding cashback. Payouts run from a balance of CHF 20 – smaller amounts roll over to the next month.
What if I have questions about my statement?
Reach us by email or through our chatbot at the bottom right. We reply in German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai, usually within a few hours.
What if the broker contests the statement?
In rare cases there are differences between our numbers and the broker's statement. We review every complaint manually and get back to you within three business days with the result. For proven errors, the missing amount is paid on top.
Why DualNet in particular?
Based in Switzerland, support in your language, payout in your own currency, transparent rebate calculation, no bought recommendations. If those points matter to you, we're the right choice.
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