What is A-Book Revenue Share?

A-Book Revenue Share is a partnership model where an IB or affiliate earns a percentage of the broker's core income - the spread and commission - generated by their referred clients' trading volume. Because those orders are passed to the market (A-booked), the partner's pay depends on trading activity, not on whether clients win or lose.

The "A-book" part describes how the broker manages risk. When a broker A-books a client, it hedges or passes the order to a liquidity provider rather than taking the opposite side. The broker's profit is the spread and commission on the flow. Revenue share pays the partner a slice of that same spread and commission, so partner and broker earn from volume, not from client losses.

Key takeaways

You earn from client volume, not from client losses.
Typical shares run 20-50% depending on tier.
Income is recurring and compounds over a client's lifetime.
High-volume scalpers and algos maximize the pool.
Cleaner compliance story than loss-based B-book models.

This aligns incentives cleanly. A partner on 40% A-book revenue share wants clients who keep trading and stay funded, because a client who blows an account stops generating volume. Suppose your clients trade 1,000 lots in a month and the broker earns $10 per lot in spread. The gross pool is $10,000; at a 40% share you earn $4,000 that month, regardless of the clients' win/loss outcome.

Revenue share is recurring and compounds. Unlike a one-time CPA payout, an active client keeps paying every month they trade. Over the lifetime of a loyal, high-volume trader, A-book revenue share can far exceed a single upfront fee - though it starts smaller and takes longer to build.

How it works

The broker routes referred clients' orders to the market (A-book) and earns spread plus commission on that volume. Your partner agreement assigns you a percentage of that revenue - commonly 20-50% depending on tier and volume. Each month, the broker totals the spread and commission your clients generated and pays you your share.

Because the payout scales with volume, high-frequency clients - scalpers and algorithmic strategies - generate the largest pools. The model is transparent and compliance-friendly because your earnings come from activity the client would generate anyway, with no incentive to see them lose. Reporting typically appears in the broker's IB portal, showing lots, revenue, and your accrued share in near real time.

Join a revenue-share program

Refer and onboard clients

Attract traders and get them funded and active, since only real trading volume produces revenue.

Broker A-books the flow

Client orders route to liquidity providers; the broker earns spread and commission on the volume.

Revenue is pooled

Each period the broker totals the spread and commission your clients generated.

You receive your share

Your agreed percentage of that pool is paid out, and it recurs every month clients keep trading.

Why it matters for partnership: A-Book revenue share aligns your income with client longevity: you earn from volume, not from losses, so keeping traders funded and active is the goal. It builds recurring, compounding income instead of a one-off CPA payment.

Formula

A-Book RevShare = (Total Client Volume x Broker Spread/Commission per lot) x IB Percentage Share

Real World Example

Your clients trade 1,000 lots in a month with a broker such as IC Markets or Pepperstone that earns roughly $10 per lot in spread and commission. On a 40% A-book revenue share you receive $4,000 for the month, and you keep earning each subsequent month those clients stay active - regardless of whether their individual trades won or lost.

A-Book RevShare vs CPA

Factor	A-Book RevShare	CPA
Payment timing	Recurring monthly	One-time
Based on	Client volume	Qualified deposit/action
Best client	Long-term, high-volume	Any funded new client
Upside	Compounds over lifetime	Fast, fixed
Incentive alignment	Keep clients trading	Acquire and move on

Pro Tip

Prioritize clients with genuine long-term or high-frequency strategies - algorithmic traders and active scalpers - because their sustained volume compounds your A-book share far beyond what casual traders produce.

Common Pitfalls

Chasing large one-time CPA payouts and ignoring revenue share, which forfeits the compounding passive income that loyal, high-volume traders generate over years.

FAQ

Is A-Book revenue share better than CPA?

For long-term or high-volume clients, revenue share usually earns more over time. CPA pays faster and is fixed, so many partners run both depending on the client.

Do I still earn if my clients lose money?

Yes. A-book revenue share is paid on the spread and commission from trading volume, so you earn whenever clients trade, independent of their individual outcomes.

What percentage share is typical?

Shares commonly range from about 20% to 50% of the broker's spread and commission, rising with your volume tier and negotiation.

How is A-book different from B-book revenue share?

A-book pays a share of spread/commission on flow sent to the market. B-book models can pay from client losses, which raises a conflict of interest A-book avoids.

When do I get paid?

Most brokers pool revenue over a period - often monthly - and pay your share on a set schedule shown in the IB portal.

Which clients maximize A-book revenue share?

Active, high-frequency traders such as scalpers and algorithmic strategies generate the most volume, and therefore the largest revenue pool, over time.

Reviewed by the Revenika Editorial Desk Last updated August 5, 2026