Every pair has two prices: the bid and the ask. The gap between them — the spread — is a حقيقي cost you pay on every صفقة, and over hundreds of صفقات it adds up.
Bid vs ask
Thebidis the price at which you can sell; theaskis the price at which you can buy. You always buy at the higher price and sell at the lower — the difference is the spread, effectively the وسيط/السوق-maker's fee.
Why the spread matters
You start every صفقة slightly in the red by the spread. On tight major-pair spreads this is trivial; on exotics or during أخبار it can be large. Scalpers, who صفقة often, are hurt most by wide spreads — cost control is part of strategy.
Spreads, commissions and the honest total cost
Some حسابات show tiny spreads but charge a separate commission. The honest comparison is total cost per صفقة (spread + commission + سواب if held overnight). ShaFX's كاش باك model is designed to return part of that cost — transparently, with no hidden markup.
Key takeaways
- Bid = sell price, ask = buy price; the spread is the gap between them.
- You begin every صفقة down by the spread — it compounds across many صفقات.
- Compare total cost (spread + commission + سواب), not headline spread alone.