IC Markets
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How affiliate marketing works
Knowing how we earn explains how in-depth reviews, education and tools can stay free.
- You click a broker link
While reading a review or guide, you follow one of our links to a broker's website.
- You open an account
If you sign up and trade, the broker can see you came from FX Recap through a referral code or tracking cookie.
- We may receive a commission
The broker pays us a one-time fee or a share of revenue linked to your activity. This model is standard across financial comparison sites.
- We reinvest it
The money goes back into research, live testing accounts, the team and free educational resources.
Does this cost you anything?
No. Here is what using our links does and does not mean for you.
Same fees and spreads
Your trading costs are the same if you sign up through us or directly. Commissions come from the broker's marketing budget, not your pocket.
Occasional exclusive offers
Sometimes a broker offers a bonus or feature only through our links. Where that happens, the offer page says so.
Free research
Affiliate revenue pays for live testing, real-money accounts and analysis, with no subscription or paywall.
No change to help if things go wrong
We cannot act on your account, but our trader rights page explains how to escalate a problem with a broker.
Our editorial firewall
This is the most important part of this page. We earn commissions, but reviews stay independent. This is how.
- No pay-for-placement rankings. Every ranking comes from our 100-point scoring system. A broker paying higher commissions will never outrank a better one that pays less.
- Brokers without affiliate programmes are treated the same. An excellent broker that pays us nothing still earns honest, high marks.
- Standard commission terms. We refuse custom commission deals that could create a conflict of interest.
- Separate teams. Research is independent of business development. Writers and analysts cannot see commission rates, and their pay is never tied to affiliate performance.
- Critical reviews are published. When testing finds execution delays, hidden fees or poor support, the review says so, whatever the commercial relationship.
- Live testing is required. In-depth reviews involve real-money testing: we deposit, trade, withdraw and contact support ourselves.
The 100-point scoring system
Every broker goes through the same evaluation, affiliated or not. These are the weights; the full rules are on our methodology page.
Common questions
Which relationships are affiliate-based?
We have affiliate relationships with most of the brokers featured on FX Recap. Several brokers we cover have no affiliate programme, and they get exactly the same editorial treatment.
How are affiliate links marked?
Every broker review carries a clear disclosure at the top stating that FX Recap may earn commissions from its links. Individual links are not marked one by one, which would clutter the page without adding transparency.
Do commission rates vary by broker?
Yes, depending on the broker's size, trading volume and industry norms. The editorial team cannot see those rates and never factors them into reviews or rankings.
What about sponsored content?
Occasionally a broker sponsors a specific piece, such as an educational article. Sponsored content is always labelled "Sponsored" or "Paid Partnership" and styled differently from our editorial reviews. Sponsors cannot influence our opinions or scores.
Important risk disclosure
We work hard to help you find a good trading environment, but we are not financial advisers and nothing here is investment advice.
- Forex and CFD trading carries a significant risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.
- You could lose some or all of your deposit; never trade money you cannot afford to lose.
- Past performance never guarantees future results, and conditions can change without warning.
- Your experience with a broker may differ from our testing, depending on your country, account type and market conditions.
- Do your own due diligence and consider independent financial advice before trading.
Our commitment to you
We started FX Recap because we were tired of reviews that put commissions ahead of honesty. We are traders first, and affiliate revenue goes back into building a better, more transparent resource for traders. When we rate a broker highly, it is because we tested it and believe it deserves your consideration, not because it pays the most.
The short version: partnerships keep this site free, but they never buy a rating. What you read is what we found. Questions: [email protected].