XTB FX Fee: The 0.5% Currency Conversion Cost in 2026
XTB charges a 0.5% foreign-exchange fee on currency conversion, as of June 2026, applied whenever you trade an asset priced in a currency other than your account's base currency, such as buying US stocks from a GBP or EUR account. On a £1,000 conversion that is about £5. It is higher than Trading 212's 0.15% but lower than eToro's 0.75%.
Reviewed by Yaniv Barshaf · Fees verified June 2026 · Our methodology
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What XTB's 0.5% FX fee is
XTB is well known for commission-free stock and ETF investing, but its currency-conversion fee is where costs can quietly accrue for UK and European investors. As of June 2026, XTB applies a 0.5% FX fee whenever a trade involves converting between your account's base currency and the currency the asset is priced in. If your account is denominated in pounds and you buy a US-listed share priced in dollars, XTB converts the sterling to dollars and charges 0.5% on that conversion. The same applies to a euro-based account buying dollar or sterling assets. The fee is not a trading commission and not tied to XTB making money on the deal itself; it is purely the cost of moving between currencies. For investors who stick to assets in their own base currency, it may never apply. For anyone building an international, particularly US-heavy, portfolio, it becomes the defining cost of using XTB. Capital at risk.
When the fee applies
The trigger for XTB's 0.5% fee is currency mismatch, not the act of trading in itself. If your base currency is GBP and you buy a US stock, conversion happens and the fee applies. The most reliable way to avoid it entirely is to trade only assets denominated in your base currency, though that obviously limits you to a narrower universe. It is worth understanding that the fee applies to the conversion event: buying a foreign-currency asset converts your money one way, and when you eventually sell and the proceeds return to your base currency, conversion happens again. So a complete round trip into and out of a non-base-currency position can incur the 0.5% twice. Some brokers let you hold multi-currency balances to sidestep repeated conversion, but the practical rule for XTB as of June 2026 is straightforward: every time your money crosses a currency boundary, expect to pay 0.5%. Capital at risk.
A worked example
Say you hold a GBP-denominated XTB account and want to buy £1,000 of a US-listed stock. Because the stock trades in dollars, XTB converts your £1,000 to USD and applies the 0.5% FX fee, which is £5. So £5 of your £1,000 goes on currency conversion before you own the shares, as of June 2026. When you later sell and convert the dollar proceeds back to sterling, the 0.5% applies again on that amount. On a small trade this is minor, but scale matters. Convert £20,000 into US stocks and the entry conversion alone costs £100. For a long-term buy-and-hold investor making occasional large conversions, that is a one-off cost to accept and plan around. For an active trader repeatedly moving between sterling and dollar positions, the 0.5% recurs each time and can outweigh the benefit of XTB's commission-free headline. Size the fee against your trading pattern, not the marketing. Capital at risk.
How it interacts with commission-free investing
XTB's FX fee does not exist in isolation; it sits alongside a commission structure worth understanding together. As of June 2026, XTB offers commission-free stock and ETF trading up to €100,000 of monthly turnover, after which a 0.2% commission applies, subject to a €10 minimum. For most retail investors, monthly turnover stays well under €100,000, so the commission rarely bites and the FX fee is the cost that actually matters. This is an important reframing: the headline commission-free label is genuine for typical volumes, but for a UK or EU investor buying US or other foreign-currency assets, the 0.5% conversion fee is the real, recurring cost of doing business at XTB. In other words, do not be lulled by commission-free into thinking trades are cost-free. On international assets, the FX fee is usually your largest single charge, and it applies below the commission threshold where you would otherwise be paying nothing at all. Capital at risk.
How to minimise the FX fee
There are practical ways to keep XTB's 0.5% conversion cost down as of June 2026. First, where XTB offers your account in a currency that matches most of what you trade, choosing the right base currency reduces how often conversion is triggered. Second, batch your conversions: making fewer, larger currency moves incurs the fee less frequently than many small ones, though the percentage cost is the same, so this mainly helps active traders reduce the number of conversion events. Third, favour assets denominated in your base currency where they meet your goals, since a UK-listed ETF tracking a global index may avoid conversion that a US-listed equivalent would trigger. And finally, weigh XTB's 0.5% against alternatives if FX is central to your strategy: Trading 212 charges just 0.15% and eToro around 0.75%, as of June 2026, so a heavy foreign-currency trader might genuinely save by choosing a lower-FX broker. Match the platform to your actual behaviour. Capital at risk.
The bottom line
XTB's 0.5% FX fee is the cost that matters most for UK and EU investors buying foreign-currency assets, since commission-free trading holds for typical volumes below €100,000 monthly turnover. At 0.5% it is mid-market, cheaper than eToro (0.75%) but pricier than Trading 212 (0.15%), as of June 2026. On a £1,000 US-stock purchase that is about £5 each way. Occasional investors will barely notice; frequent foreign-currency traders should weigh a lower-FX alternative or minimise conversions by matching base currency and batching trades. A solid commission-free broker whose real cost lives in currency conversion. Capital at risk.
XTB
Best for low-cost stock and ETF investing in the EU/UK
Capital at risk. This is not financial advice. Investing involves risk of loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is XTB's FX fee?
XTB charges 0.5% on currency conversion as of June 2026, applied whenever you trade an asset priced in a currency other than your account's base currency, for example buying US dollar-denominated stocks from a GBP or EUR account.
When does XTB charge the 0.5% FX fee?
It applies on conversion, not per trade. Buying a non-base-currency asset converts your money and triggers the fee; selling and converting back triggers it again. Trading only assets in your base currency avoids it entirely, as of June 2026.
How much is XTB's FX fee on £1,000?
About £5. XTB's 0.5% conversion fee on a £1,000 trade into a foreign-currency asset is £5, as of June 2026. Selling and converting the proceeds back to your base currency later would incur the 0.5% again.
Is XTB's FX fee competitive?
It is mid-range. As of June 2026, XTB's 0.5% is higher than Trading 212's 0.15% but lower than eToro's roughly 0.75%. For occasional traders the difference is minor; for heavy foreign-currency traders a lower-FX broker could save money.