Also known as: minimum holding time, minimum trade time, trade duration rule
Minimum trade duration is a compliance rule requiring a referred client to keep a position open for a set length of time — for example two minutes — before that trade generates IB commission or counts toward a CPA volume threshold.
Like the minimum pip profit rule, its purpose is to block rebate churning: opening and instantly closing trades to fabricate volume with no genuine market exposure. By demanding that a position survive a minimum number of seconds or minutes, the broker filters out artificial, no-intent activity.
The threshold varies widely. Some brokers use a few seconds, others require one to three minutes. A client running an EA that flips trades in under 30 seconds could see most of its volume disqualified under a 2-minute rule, even though the trading is real. The effect is largest for high-frequency and scalping strategies.
For partners, this clause can quietly erase expected revenue. Two brokers may quote the same rebate, but the one enforcing a strict minimum trade duration pays far less on fast-turnover clients. Testing execution on a small live account is the fastest way to learn how the rule behaves in practice.
The broker timestamps each position's open and close. If the elapsed time is below the minimum trade duration threshold, the trade is flagged as non-qualifying and removed from the volume that feeds your rebate or CPA calculation.
Brokers usually pair this with the minimum pip profit rule and other anti-abuse filters. A trade generally has to satisfy every filter — enough elapsed time, enough pip movement, a completed round turn — to count. The threshold is set per account type and disclosed in the partner agreement.
Why it matters for partnership: Minimum trade duration voids rebates on ultra-fast trades. If you promote scalping EAs, a strict holding-time rule can wipe out commission on huge volume — verify the threshold before you drive that traffic.
An IB promotes a fast-scalping EA to a client base and expects strong rebates from heavy turnover. The partner broker enforces a 3-minute minimum trade duration, and the EA closes most positions within 40 seconds. On 600 lots traded, only about 15% qualifies, so an anticipated ~$4,200 payout collapses to roughly $630 — a shortfall the IB could have caught by testing one live account before scaling the promotion.
| Aspect | Minimum trade duration | Minimum pip profit |
|---|---|---|
| Measures | Time position stays open | Pips price moved |
| Typical threshold | Seconds to ~3 minutes | ~3-5 pips |
| Beats which abuse | Instant open/close churn | Break-even pip churn |
| Strategy hit hardest | Sub-minute HFT scalping | Tight 1-2 pip scalps |
Before promoting any fast-scalping EA, fund a small live account and time how quickly a trade can open and close while still showing up as qualifying volume in the IB portal.
Promoting a fast-scalping EA to your clients without checking that the broker requires trades to stay open for two or three minutes, so most of the volume pays no IB commission.
It ranges from a few seconds to about three minutes depending on the broker and account type. Many brokers disclose it only in the partner agreement.
To stop rebate churning — opening and instantly closing trades to manufacture volume with no genuine market exposure and harvest commissions.
No. Duration measures how long a position stays open; pip profit measures how far price moved. Brokers frequently enforce both at once.
Usually not. Day and swing trades hold positions for minutes to days, well past any duration threshold. It mainly disqualifies sub-minute scalping.
High-volume partners can sometimes negotiate reduced thresholds, but brokers balance this against hedging and liquidity-provider costs on ultra-fast flow.
Compare raw traded volume with qualifying volume in the IB report. A persistent gap on fast-turnover clients usually points to a duration or pip filter.