USDCAD lot size calculator
A standard USDCAD lot is 100,000 units, quoted to 5 decimals, and one pip of 0.0001 moves 10 CAD per lot. Feed the calculator your account size, the percentage you are willing to lose and the distance to your stop, and it returns the size that puts exactly that much at risk — rounded down to your broker's lot step so the real risk never comes out above the target.
What makes USDCAD different
Majors are the most liquid pairs on the market, with the tightest spreads and the most predictable pip values. When the pair quotes in your account currency the pip value is fixed; when it does not, it drifts with the exchange rate and the calculator converts it for you.
Contract specification
| Symbol | USDCAD |
|---|---|
| Contract size (1 lot) | 100,000 |
| Quote currency | CAD |
| Quoted decimals | 5 |
| Pip / point size | 0.0001 |
| Pip value per standard lot | 10 CAD |
USDCAD pip value by lot size
Values in CAD, the currency USDCAD is quoted in. A pip here is 0.0001.
| Lot size | Units | Value of 1 pip |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (1.00) | 100,000 | 10 CAD |
| Mini (0.10) | 10,000 | 1 CAD |
| Micro (0.01) | 1,000 | 0.1 CAD |
A worked example
- Risk in money: a 10 000 CAD account risking 1% puts 100 CAD on the line.
- Stop distance in price: 20 pips × 0.0001 = 0.002.
- Loss per lot: 0.002 × 100,000 = 200 CAD.
- Lot size: 100 ÷ 200 = 0.5, rounded down to 0.5.
The example assumes an account in CAD. If yours is in another currency, every figure above gets multiplied by the rate from CAD to your currency, which the calculator applies automatically.
Lot size for a 10 000 CAD account
What each combination of risk and stop distance works out to. Read it as a sanity check on the number the calculator gives you.
| Risk | 10 pips | 20 pips | 40 pips | 80 pips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 % | 0.5 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 0.06 |
| 1 % | 1 | 0.5 | 0.25 | 0.12 |
| 2 % | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.25 |
| 3 % | 3 | 1.5 | 0.75 | 0.37 |
Frequently asked questions
How much is one pip worth on USDCAD?
On a standard lot of 100,000 units, one pip of 0.0001 is worth 10 CAD. A mini lot is a tenth of that and a micro lot a hundredth. If your account is not in CAD, multiply by the current rate from CAD to your account currency.
What lot size should I use on USDCAD?
There is no single right size: it depends on how much you are willing to lose and where your stop sits. Decide the loss first — most traders cap it at 1% to 2% of the account per trade — then divide that amount by the loss per lot at your stop distance. The calculator above does exactly that and rounds down to your broker's step.
Why does my broker show a different USDCAD lot size?
Almost always because the contract or the pip definition differs. Open your platform's contract specification for USDCAD, compare the contract size against 100,000 and the tick against 0.0001, and correct them under "broker settings" above. The second cause is the conversion rate when your account currency is not CAD; you can override that too.
I have a dollar account — does that change the USDCAD calculation?
Yes. USDCAD settles in CAD, so the loss per lot has to be converted from CAD into dollars at the current rate. The calculator does it automatically and tells you which rate it used, and you can type your broker's own rate if you want the figure to match your platform to the cent.
Educational tool. Check the size in your platform before trading; leveraged trading carries a risk of loss.