Also known as: Active Trader, Funded Active Client, Trading Client
An Active Client is a funded account holder who has executed at least one real-money trade within a defined recent window — most brokers use the last 30, 60, or 90 days. It is the status that separates a paying, revenue-generating client from a registered-but-dormant one.
The distinction matters because only active clients produce trading volume, and trading volume is what pays partners. A registration is a cost; a deposit is a milestone; but an active client is the first point at which an IB actually earns. Under revenue-share, commission accrues only while the client keeps opening and closing positions.
The gap between registrations and active clients is usually large. An affiliate dashboard might show 1,000 sign-ups but only 150 active clients — a 15% activation rate. Closing that gap through onboarding, education, and lifecycle campaigns is often more profitable than buying more traffic, because the leads are already paid for.
Because "active" is defined by a rolling window, the status is dynamic: a client who stops trading for 90 days drops out of the active count and stops generating rebate. Partners therefore track active-client counts as a live health metric, not a one-time conversion event.
The broker's system tags each funded account as active or inactive based on its most recent trade date against a rolling window. As long as the client trades within that window, they count as active and their volume flows into the IB's rebate calculation. Miss the window, and the account reverts to dormant, halting commission.
For the partner, the mechanism turns retention into a measurable revenue task. Every dormant funded client is a paid-for lead that has stopped producing income. Lifecycle marketing — reactivation emails, fresh analysis, check-in calls — exists to pull those accounts back inside the active window and restart the rebate stream.
A lead completes sign-up and KYC but has not yet funded or traded — no revenue yet.
The client makes a first deposit, becoming eligible to trade and clearing many CPA conditions.
The client executes a real-money position, achieving Active status and starting rebate accrual.
Ongoing signals and education keep the client trading within the rolling window so they stay active.
Why it matters for partnership: Active clients are the only clients who pay you. Revenue-share commission accrues solely on their trading volume, and most CPA deals only release the bounty once a referred client meets an active-trading requirement.
An affiliate's dashboard shows 1,000 registrations but only 150 active clients — a 15% activation rate. They launch a 5-email onboarding sequence with a free market-outlook PDF and daily EUR/USD analysis, lifting active clients to 260 over two months. Because the leads were already acquired, the incremental rebate came at almost no extra acquisition cost.
| Stage | Definition | Partner revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Registered lead | Signed up, not funded | None |
| Funded client | Deposited, may not have traded | CPA milestone possible |
| Active client | Traded within recent window | Recurring rebate |
| Dormant client | Funded but not trading | None until reactivated |
Send daily market analysis and signals specifically to funded clients; timely, actionable content is the single biggest driver of sustained trading activity.
Chasing registrations with no backend plan to convert them into funded, active traders leaves you paying for traffic that never generates rebate.
No. Under an IB or revenue-share structure you earn only when a client opens and closes positions; a dormant account generates no rebate.
By the broker — typically at least one real-money trade within the last 30 to 90 days. Check your specific agreement for the exact window.
It varies by channel and audience, but lifting active clients divided by registrations is usually cheaper than buying more traffic since the leads are already paid for.
Yes. Because 'active' is based on a rolling window, a client who stops trading past that window reverts to dormant and stops producing commission.
No. Funding is necessary but not sufficient — the client must also place a real trade within the broker's active window.
With targeted lifecycle campaigns: reactivation emails, fresh market analysis, and check-ins that give a clear reason to place the next trade. Never promise specific outcomes.
A breakdown of which parts of an IB agreement brokers will genuinely move — CPA rates, volume tiers, payout terms, exclusivity — and which are fixed …