Direct answer: what you calculate to get pips
To calculate pips in Forex Trader Pro, you need two things: (1) the pip size for the instrument you’re viewing, and (2) the price change you want to express in pips. In general terms, this is done by converting the price movement into the standardized “one pip” increment.
Because “Forex Trader Pro” can represent prices and pip displays differently depending on settings (for example, whether it uses a point/pip display convention), the key is to match your calculation to the pair’s quoted decimal format and the platform’s definition of pip for that instrument.
Mechanics: pip size and the basic conversion
A pip is a fixed unit that corresponds to a particular change in the quoted exchange rate. In many major forex pairs, a common convention is:
- If the quote is shown with four decimal places (e.g., 1.2345), then 1 pip = 0.0001.
- If the quote is shown with two decimal places (often for some JPY-related quotes), then 1 pip = 0.01.
You then compute pips from a price move:
- Price change = (final price − initial price)
- Pips = (price change) ÷ (pip size)
If you want the pip count as a positive number for “distance” moved, you can use the absolute value of the price change.
Points vs pips (why platforms may differ)
Some tools display both points and pips. While “pip” is typically the standardized increment used for forex movement reporting, “point” can mean the smallest quoted price step in the platform. If Forex Trader Pro shows both, the safer approach is:
- Use pip size consistent with the instrument’s quoted format for your pip calculation.
- If the platform offers a “pip” indicator directly, treat it as a computed value based on its internal pip definition, and still verify that the pip size matches your pair’s displayed decimals.
Example and checks you can do on any chart
Example with a four-decimal pair
Assume a quote displayed as four decimals. If the price moves from 1.2000 to 1.2015:
- Price change = 1.2015 − 1.2000 = 0.0015
- Pip size (four decimals) = 0.0001
- Pips = 0.0015 ÷ 0.0001 = 15 pips
Two quick verification checks
- Decimal-place sanity check: confirm whether the instrument is quoted with four or two decimals (or another format) in Forex Trader Pro’s symbol view.
- Cross-check the platform display: compare your computed pips for a known visible move (for example, from two chart points you can read) against the platform’s pip/point readout. If they don’t match, the difference usually comes from pip-size conventions, a “pipette” (fractional pip) setting, or a broker-specific quoting format.
Relevant limitations and uncertainties
- Platform-specific pip definition: Different brokers and charting settings can change how a platform defines “pip,” “point,” or pipettes. Without checking the instrument’s exact pip size shown or configured in your Forex Trader Pro setup, calculations can differ.
- Instrument formatting matters: Pip sizing conventions depend on the quoted decimal places of the instrument. Using the wrong pip size (e.g., treating a two-decimal quote like a four-decimal one) leads to systematic errors.
- No guarantee of matching every display: Even if the formula is consistent, what the platform labels as “pips” may be an approximation derived from its internal tick/step logic and settings. Treat pip readouts as verifiable outputs you should confirm via the decimal-place and cross-check steps above.
If you need help mapping your exact symbol to pip size inside Forex Trader Pro, you can focus on confirming the symbol’s displayed decimal format and whether the platform distinguishes pips, points, and fractional pips (pipettes).