Account tier "upgrades": how to check they're really cheaper
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2026 2:46 pm
Brokers sometimes move active clients to a "premium" tier once volume crosses a threshold, with an email about better conditions. Whether it's actually better depends on the mix of spread and commission, and you can work it out before agreeing.
A worked example on EURUSD in London:
How to check it properly:
Per symbol, not overall. Log spread at entry for each symbol you trade on both accounts for a couple of weeks, or ask for a demo of the new tier and log it side by side.
By hour. A tier may be fed from a different liquidity pool, and that often shows up in Asia or rollover hours first.
Keep logging after any change. The marketing email is not a measurement.
Ask support in writing whether you can switch back before accepting. Has anyone compared tiers like this and found the "upgrade" wasn't one?
A worked example on EURUSD in London:
- Raw account: 0.12 pips average spread plus $7 round turn per lot, which is 0.7 pips. All-in about 0.82 pips.
- Premium tier: 0.25 pips plus $5 round turn per lot, so 0.5 pips. All-in about 0.75 pips.
How to check it properly:
Per symbol, not overall. Log spread at entry for each symbol you trade on both accounts for a couple of weeks, or ask for a demo of the new tier and log it side by side.
By hour. A tier may be fed from a different liquidity pool, and that often shows up in Asia or rollover hours first.
Keep logging after any change. The marketing email is not a measurement.
Ask support in writing whether you can switch back before accepting. Has anyone compared tiers like this and found the "upgrade" wasn't one?