XAUUSD lot size, contract and pip value at popular brokers

On a standard account one lot of XAUUSD is 100 troy ounces at every broker we checked, so 0.01 lot earns or loses $1 for each $1 move in gold. On a cent account the same 0.01 lot is worth $0.01 per $1, a hundred times less, because the contract is 1 ounce or the balance is counted in cents. Check your own symbol in MT5 before sizing a lot.

Arithmetic and published specifications, not advice. Trading with leverage carries risk: if the deposit is too small, a stop-out is possible.

Contract size, minimum lot and $1 value by broker

The minimum price step on the pages that state it (Exness, RoboForex) is $0.01. "—" means the page does not say.

Not in the table, and why: XM (the metals page lists spreads and leverage but no contract size), Pepperstone (the specification pages did not open for us), FBS (the specification page returned "not found"), Alpari (its cent-type Micro account is on MT4 only and we found no gold contract size), HFM (only one of our two checks could open the cent-account page). We publish only what we read on the broker's own page; if one of them publishes a specification, we will add it.

The formulas

1. Dollars per $1 move = lots × contract size (oz) × $1. Standard account: 0.01 × 100 = $1. Cent account with a 1 oz contract: 0.01 × 1 = $0.01.
2. Value of one point. A point is the smallest price step. With prices like 4170.25 (two decimals) the point is $0.01, so one point on 1.00 lot of 100 oz is $1, and on 0.01 lot $0.01. Some brokers quote gold with three decimals; then the point is $0.001 and is worth ten times less. "Pip" has no single meaning for gold: some brokers call $0.01 a pip, others $0.10. Count in dollars of price movement, not in pips.
3. Margin = lots × contract size × price ÷ leverage. 0.01 lot of 100 oz at a gold price of $4,170 and leverage 1:500: 0.01 × 100 × 4,170 ÷ 500 = $8.34; at 1:2000, $2.09. On a cent account with a 1 oz contract the same lot needs a hundred times less: 8.34 US cents at 1:500.
4. Lot from risk = risk in $ ÷ (stop distance in $ × contract size). Risk $20 with a stop $10 away on a 100 oz contract: 20 ÷ (10 × 100) = 0.02 lot. On a 1 oz cent contract the same risk in dollars is 2.00 cent lots; in cents (2,000 USC) the arithmetic is identical.

The gold lot size calculator, the margin calculator and the cent account calculator do these sums for you.

Why does a cent account change the numbers?

A cent account shows the balance in cents: a $10 deposit appears as 1,000 USC. Exness describes its cent lot as 1,000 USD, 0.01 of a standard lot (Exness); RoboForex keeps the 100 oz contract on ProCent but counts profit in cents. Either way, 0.01 lot on a cent account moves the balance by $0.01 per $1 of gold.

For a grid EA this is what makes small deposits possible. A doubling grid from 0.01 lot with 11 orders reaches 20.47 lots in total and 10.24 lots on the last order. On a standard account that is $20.47 per $1 of gold; on a cent account $0.2047. The last order must also fit under the maximum lot per order: 10.24 is fine with a limit of 100 or 200 and does not fit a limit of 25 if you start above 0.02. More in what is a cent account.

How to check your own XAUUSD in MT5

1. In Market Watch, right-click the gold symbol (XAUUSD, XAUUSDc, GOLD and so on) and choose Specification.
2. Read Contract size (100 or 1), Digits (2 or 3), Minimal volume, Volume step and Maximal volume.
3. Look at the account currency in the Toolbox: USD or USC.
4. Open 0.01 lot on a demo account and watch how much the profit changes when gold moves $1.

The broker's specification in the terminal is the final word: website pages and terminals can differ, as the RoboForex ProCent minimum lot above shows.

What can go wrong

• A different symbol. One broker can have XAUUSD, XAUUSDc and XAUUSD.m with different contracts. An EA set up for one can be ten or a hundred times too big on another.
• Lot in cents, risk in dollars. A cent account makes the numbers small, not the risk: the percentage loss of the deposit is the same.
• Margin rules change. Leverage on gold can be lower around news and at the weekend; see margin call vs stop-out.
• If the deposit is too small, a stop-out is possible.

FAQ

How much is 0.01 lot of gold per $1?

On a standard account with a 100 oz contract, 0.01 lot changes your profit by $1 for each $1 move in gold. On a cent account (1 oz contract or a balance in cents) it is $0.01, shown as 1 cent in the terminal.

What is the contract size of XAUUSD?

100 troy ounces per lot at Exness, IC Markets and RoboForex on standard accounts, according to their specification pages checked on 26 October 2026. Cent accounts use 1 ounce per lot or count the 100 oz contract in cents.

How much is one pip on XAUUSD?

It depends on what the broker calls a pip. The smallest step is usually $0.01 of price, worth $1 on 1.00 lot of 100 oz and $0.01 on 0.01 lot. Some brokers call a $0.10 move a pip. It is safer to count in dollars of price movement.

What margin does 0.01 lot of gold need?

Lots × contract × price ÷ leverage. At $4,170 and 1:500, 0.01 lot of 100 oz needs $8.34; at 1:2000, $2.09. A cent lot of 1 oz needs a hundred times less. Brokers can raise margin around news and before weekends.

Why is my gold lot ten times bigger than expected?

Probably a different contract or a different number of digits: some brokers quote gold with three decimals or use a 10 oz contract on a separate symbol. Check Contract size and Digits in the symbol's Specification in MT5.

Which brokers offer gold on a cent account?

Among those we checked: Exness Standard Cent (XAUUSDc), RoboForex ProCent, XS.com Cent and Valetax Cent. Availability depends on your country and changes; check the broker's own terms.