MidasIn short: A cent account is a margin account counted in cents: $10 reads 1,000 USC, and a 0.01 gold lot usually moves it one cent per $1 of price.
A cent account counts your balance in cents, not dollars: $10 shows up as 1,000 USC. Usually the lot is priced 100 times smaller too, so a 0.01 lot of gold moves the balance by one cent per $1 of price, against $1 on a standard account. Confirm it in the symbol specification.
The figures below are arithmetic of settings, not a forecast, calculated on 8 October 2026 with the same arithmetic as the grid calculator. Example inputs: gold at $4,448.47 (an illustrative price, not a quote), leverage 1:100 unless stated, stop-out 40%. The stop-out arithmetic article and the margin call article use other prices and leverage, so their figures differ.
On this page (10)
What is a cent account, and how is the balance shown?
A cent account counts balance, equity, profit and margin in cents (USC), not dollars. One dollar is 100 cents, so a $10 deposit reads 1,000 USC and a balance of 25,000 USC is $250. USC divided by 100 gives USD. The cent account calculator does the conversion, plus lot value and margin.
Watch the label. Some servers name the account currency "USD" even though the figures are in cents. If the balance looks about 100 times larger than your deposit, you are reading cents.
Counting in cents is only half of it. What makes a lot cheap is the contract: how much gold one lot controls. On the cent accounts Midas is built for, the broker prices the same lot 100 times smaller than a standard account does (open-account guide), which in the specification usually shows as a gold contract of 1 ounce instead of 100. If a cent account kept the 100-ounce contract and only counted in cents, a 0.01 lot would move 100 USC, which is $1, per $1 of gold, exactly as on a standard account. Brokers build cent accounts in different ways, so read the specification, not the label.
A cent account is not a micro lot either. A micro lot (0.01) is a lot size; a dollar account can trade it too, and on gold it still moves $1 per $1 of price.
How much is 1 lot of XAUUSD, and what does lot 0.01 mean on a cent account?
On a standard account 1.00 lot of XAUUSD moves the balance by $100 per $1 of gold (contract usually 100 oz); on a cent account of the kind above it moves $1 (100 USC), so a 0.01 lot moves one cent. Confirm the contract size in the Specification.
The cause is the contract size: normally 100 ounces per 1.00 lot on a standard account, and 1 ounce on a cent account of the kind above. So 1.00 lot on such an account is worth the same as 0.01 lot on a standard one. Our calculators write the same thing as "100 ounces ÷ 100"; the dollars are identical.
| Gold moves $1 | Standard account | Cent account |
|---|---|---|
| 1.00 lot | $100 | $1 (100 USC) |
| 0.10 lot | $10 | $0.10 (10 USC) |
| 0.01 lot | $1 | $0.01 (1 USC) |
Look at the screen, not at the unit: 1.00 lot moves 100 USC on the cent account and $100 on the standard one, and a $1,000 cent balance reads 100,000 USC, like a $100,000 standard balance. That is why one rule covers the rest. A cent account with $B and lots L behaves like a standard account with $100 × B and the same lots L: the same margin level in percent, the same room in gold dollars before stop-out. Only the amounts of money differ, by a factor of 100.
How much margin does 1 lot of gold need at 1:100 or 1:2000?
Margin for gold is lots × contract size × price ÷ leverage in dollars, and a cent account's 1-ounce contract makes it 100 times smaller. At an illustrative gold price of $4,448.47 (8 October 2026), 1.00 lot of a 100-ounce contract needs $4,448.47 at 1:100 and $222.42 at 1:2000.
Margin is the money the broker holds while a position is open. For a Forex-type symbol MT5 Help gives it as volume × contract size ÷ leverage in the symbol's base currency (MT5 Help, margin for Forex). For gold that works out to contract size × price ÷ leverage in dollars. The Calculation line of the specification shows the method your broker uses, and a broker can add a margin rate on top. At a gold price of $4,448.47 (an example; enter the live price in the margin calculator):
| Account and leverage | Margin, 1.00 lot | Margin, 0.01 lot |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (100 oz), 1:100 | $4,448.47 | $44.48 |
| Standard (100 oz), 1:2000 | $222.42 | $2.22 |
| Cent (1 oz), 1:100 | 4,448.47 USC ($44.48) | 44.48 USC ($0.44) |
| Cent (1 oz), 1:2000 | 222.42 USC ($2.22) | 2.22 USC ($0.022) |
Leverage changes the margin that is held, not the value of a price move: a 0.01 lot on a cent account is 1 USC per $1 of gold at 1:100 and at 1:2000 alike.
Two margin rules matter (MT5 Help). Margin level is equity ÷ margin × 100%, and free margin is equity minus margin. A server refuses an order when the margin it needs is more than the free margin; MT5 returns code 10019, "There is not enough money to complete the request" (MQL5 reference). That is the same as a margin level under 100% after the order. Below the stop-out level the broker starts closing positions; the margin call and stop-out article walks through both levels.
Does a cent account reduce risk? A worked example
No. A cent account counts the balance in cents so that a small lot and a small deposit fit each other; in percent it behaves like a standard account 100 times larger. It adds no stop and does not prevent stop-out.
Take a doubling grid: start lot 0.01, each order twice the previous, 11 orders, $1.95 between orders, gold at $4,448.47, leverage 1:100, stop-out 40%. The full basket is 20.47 lots (0.01 + 0.02 + … + 10.24), and the deepest order sits $19.50 below the first. Same settings, three accounts:
| Cent, $1,000 | Standard, $1,000 | Standard, $100,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money per $1 of gold, full basket | $20.47 | $2,047 | $2,047 |
| Floating loss when the 11th order opens | −$39.70 | −$3,970.20 | −$3,970.20 |
| Margin level when the 5th order opens | 7,248% | 69% | 7,248% |
| Margin level when the 6th order opens | 3,564% | 32% | 3,564% |
| Margin level when the 11th order opens | 105.5% | not reached | 105.5% |
| Room to stop-out after the 11th order | $29.12 | not reached | $29.12 |
The first and third columns match: a $1,000 cent account and a $100,000 standard account give the same percentages and the same $29.12 of gold between the 11th order and stop-out. The cent account made the lot and the deposit fit each other, nothing more. Even there the 11th order opens at 105.5%, a thin cushion above the 100% the free-margin check requires.
The middle column is cent-sized lots on a standard account. At 69% a server would likely refuse the 5th order, and at 32% the account is already under a 40% stop-out. That is what "a standard account needs 100 times more money" means.
Now the part a cent account does not touch. The basket still moves the balance by $20.47 per $1 of gold. On these inputs stop-out comes $48.62 below the first order (4,399.85 for buys), when equity falls to 40% of margin, $364.24: a loss of about $636 on the $1,000, before spread and slippage. At 1:2000 the same basket holds far less margin, and the room after the 11th order is $46.02 instead of $29.12.
Try your own settings in the grid calculator; it is arithmetic, not a forecast.
How much money do you need to trade gold? What a $100 cent account opens
The money you need depends on lot, leverage, margin and the room left to stop-out. $100 is 10,000 USC; for an 11-order doubling grid from 0.01 with a $1.95 step, the arithmetic gives seven orders at 1:100 and all eleven at 1:2000, with $2.06 of gold move left before stop-out.
The same 11-order grid on $100 (start 0.01, ×2, $1.95 step, gold $4,448.47, stop-out 40%):
| Leverage 1:100 | Leverage 1:2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Margin level when the 7th order opens | 172.9% | 3,457% |
| Margin level when the 8th order opens | 83.9% | 1,678% |
| Orders the server accepts | 7 (free margin is short for the 8th) | all 11 |
| Room to stop-out after the last open order | $59.10 (after the 7th) | $2.06 (after the 11th) |
Leverage decides how many orders fit, not what a $1 move costs. Either the grid stops before its last order, or it reaches it and leaves little room. This is arithmetic of the inputs, not a deposit recommendation, and with too small a deposit a stop-out is possible.
How do you check the symbol specification in MT5?
To find XAUUSD and its limits in MT5, open View → Market Watch (Ctrl+M), right-click the symbol and choose Specification: contract size, margin currency, minimum volume, volume step, maximum volume and sessions are listed there. XAUUSD is the broker's quote of gold (XAU) in US dollars, and its name must match Market Watch exactly, including any suffix such as XAUUSDc or XAUUSD.c. Do this before you fund the account or attach an Expert Advisor.
- Open View → Market Watch (Ctrl+M).
- Right-click the gold symbol and choose Specification (MT5 Help). If gold is missing, right-click → Symbols and type "XAU" in the filter.
- Read Contract size. On a standard account gold is usually 100; on a cent account of the kind above it is usually 1.
- Read the margin currency and, if your build shows it, the profit currency. A cent account usually shows USC. Some servers show USD while counting in cents, so compare it with your balance.
- Read the minimum volume, the volume step and the maximum volume. Minimum and step are normally 0.01. The maximum must cover the biggest order your settings will send.
- Turn it into dollars: lots × contract size is the real dollars per $1 of gold. A 0.01 lot with contract 1 is $0.01; with contract 100 it is $1. If you get $1 on an account labelled cent, it counts in cents but the lot is not smaller.
Labels vary between MT5 builds.
The stop-out level is not on the symbol specification. It belongs to the account type, so look in the broker's account terms, or read it from the terminal (MQL5 reference). In MetaEditor create a script (File → New → Script), compile it with F7, drag it onto the gold chart and open the Experts tab:
void OnStart()
{
Print("Currency: ", AccountInfoString(ACCOUNT_CURRENCY));
Print("Leverage 1:", AccountInfoInteger(ACCOUNT_LEVERAGE));
Print("Margin mode: ", EnumToString((ENUM_ACCOUNT_MARGIN_MODE)AccountInfoInteger(ACCOUNT_MARGIN_MODE)));
Print("Stop-out mode: ", EnumToString((ENUM_ACCOUNT_STOPOUT_MODE)AccountInfoInteger(ACCOUNT_MARGIN_SO_MODE)));
Print("Margin call level: ", AccountInfoDouble(ACCOUNT_MARGIN_SO_CALL));
Print("Stop-out level: ", AccountInfoDouble(ACCOUNT_MARGIN_SO_SO));
Print(_Symbol, " contract size: ", SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_TRADE_CONTRACT_SIZE));
Print(_Symbol, " min / step / max lot: ",
SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_MIN), " / ",
SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_STEP), " / ",
SymbolInfoDouble(_Symbol, SYMBOL_VOLUME_MAX));
}The stop-out mode prints as percent or money, and the levels are in that unit. On a demo of the same type, open a 0.01 lot and watch the profit while gold moves $1: a cent account shows about 1 USC and a standard USD account about 1.00. It is the same digit in different units, so check the unit first. If a cent account shows about 100 USC, its contract is the full 100 ounces and the lot is worth $1 per $1 of gold.
Is a cent account hedging or netting?
Hedging versus netting is a separate property from the cent type, and a cent account can be netting. On a netting account each symbol has one position, and a second buy merges into it; on a hedging account every order is its own position, and buys and sells on one symbol can be open together (MT5 Help). A grid Expert Advisor that tracks orders one by one, and a lock that needs opposite orders open at once, need hedging, so Midas does not support netting accounts. MT5 shows "Hedge" next to the account number, and the script above prints the margin mode. The hedging vs netting article has the details.
Where do people usually trip up?
- A suffix on the symbol. Gold may be listed as XAUUSDc, XAUUSD.c or similar. The name on the chart and in an Expert Advisor must match Market Watch exactly. The Midas install guide says the same: use the exact name your broker lists.
- Stop-out differs. It varies by broker and account type, and some set it in money rather than percent. In the cent $1,000 example at 1:100, the room after the 11th order is $38.02 at a 20% stop-out, $33.57 at 30%, $29.12 at 40% and $24.67 at 50%. At 1:2000 it is $46.47, $46.25, $46.02 and $45.80: less margin held, smaller gap.
- Minimum and maximum lot. These are broker-specific: read the minimum volume, volume step and maximum volume in the Specification. Minimum and step are normally 0.01. Doubling from 0.01 over 11 orders ends with one 10.24-lot order; if the maximum volume is lower, the grid cannot place it, and MT5 refuses an order that breaks these limits (error 10014, invalid volume).
- Costs outside the arithmetic. Spread, commission per lot (some cent accounts charge one, counted in cents) and swap are not in the tables above.
What can go wrong?
A cent account makes the numbers small, not the risk. A martingale-style grid adds bigger orders as price moves against it, and a long enough move reaches stop-out. The broker then closes the basket at the price available, which can be worse than the arithmetic once gaps, spread and slippage count. Trading with leverage carries risk: if the deposit is too small, a stop-out is possible. Size your deposit with a safety margin. Nothing here is investment advice or a forecast. More in Risk, plainly.
Midas is a grid Expert Advisor for gold (XAUUSD) on MetaTrader 5 and needs a hedging, cent-style account. Check that the broker accepts clients from your country before you register; the open-account guide covers what to pick.
This is arithmetic of the settings, not a forecast. Trading with leverage carries risk: if the deposit is too small, a stop-out is possible. Size your deposit with a safety margin. Nothing here is individual investment advice.
Midas · figures calculated and sources retrieved on 8 October 2026.
FAQ
What is a cent account in forex, and is it the same as a micro account?
A cent account counts balance, profit and margin in cents instead of dollars, so $1 equals 100 USC, and usually each lot is also priced 100 times smaller than on a standard account. It is not the same as a micro account: a micro lot (0.01) is a lot size, while a cent account is an account counted in cents. Brokers use the words differently, so rely on the specification.
How much is a 0.01 lot of gold worth per $1 move?
It depends on the contract size in the Specification. With a contract of 1 ounce, as on the cent accounts Midas is built for, a 0.01 lot moves the balance by one cent ($0.01) per $1 of gold; with a contract of 100 ounces it moves $1. If you see $1 on an account labelled cent, the lot is not smaller.
What are the minimum and maximum lot sizes for XAUUSD?
They are set by the broker for each symbol and account. Read the minimum volume, the volume step, the maximum volume and the contract size in the symbol Specification: right-click the symbol in Market Watch. Minimum and step are normally 0.01. MT5 refuses an order that breaks these limits with error 10014, invalid volume.
How much money do I need to start trading gold (XAUUSD)?
It depends on lot, leverage, margin and the room left to stop-out, so there is no recommended deposit. $100 is 10,000 USC. For an 11-order doubling grid from 0.01 with a $1.95 step, the arithmetic gives seven orders at 1:100 and all eleven at 1:2000, with $2.06 of gold move left before stop-out. Trading with leverage carries risk: if the deposit is too small, a stop-out is possible. Size your deposit with a safety margin.
Which broker should I use for a cent account?
No broker is recommended here; choose by criteria. You need a hedging-type MT5 account, XAUUSD in Market Watch, a cent contract confirmed in the Specification (usually 1 ounce), acceptance of clients from your country, and a leverage and stop-out level you have read. Broker links on Midas pages are referral links: the site may earn a commission and the price does not change. See the open-account guide.
What is XAUUSD, and is it a forex pair, a CFD or a futures contract?
XAUUSD is the price of gold (XAU) in US dollars (USD). At an MT5 broker it is that broker's own quote, not the exchange futures contract: COMEX gold futures on CME Globex are only a public reference for its schedule, and the broker sets the exact sessions and conditions. Read the legal type of the instrument in the client agreement and the Specification. A suffix such as XAUUSDc or XAUUSD.c must match Market Watch.