Payout percentage and expiry are the two numbers that define a binary-style trade. Marketing pages rarely tell the full story.
Payouts are conditional
A broker may advertise up to 92–95% on EUR/USD, but your ticket might show 78% on the same pair because:
- Session liquidity is thin (Asia vs London vs New York)
- Your account tier differs
- The asset is alt-crypto vs a major pair
Rule: the confirmation dialog immediately before execution is the binding reference — screenshot it while learning a platform.
Expiry defines your edge (and noise)
- Ultra-short (seconds–1 min): noise dominates; spreads and latency matter
- 5–15 minutes: common for news scalpers; needs disciplined size
- Hours to days: fewer trades, more macro alignment
Brokers like Pocket Option and Quotex emphasise short turbos; Dukascopy and some CFD hybrids offer longer digital tenors. Match the broker to your schedule, not the other way around.
Ties, rollovers, and early close
Some platforms allow early closure at a discount, rollover to the next expiry, or special rules on ties. These change effective payout math — read the asset specification sheet.
Worked example
You stake $10 on a 5-minute CALL with an 80% payout.
- Win: +$8 profit (plus stake returned per rules)
- Loss: −$10 (unless refund promos apply)
Compare that to a $10,000 CFD position with 1:30 leverage — the loss path is not capped the same way.
What to do next
Open two brokers in compare and line up expiry range and payout notes next to each other before you deposit.