*Trade costs are reflected in the bid-ask spread.
What forex is and how it works.
Whether you're looking to speculate, hedge, or diversify your portfolio, forex trading is the global dance of buying one currency and selling another—aiming to profit from changes in exchange rates. Forex is available to trade 23 hours a day, 5 days a week—so you can react to market events, even after equity markets close.
Enhance your forex trading with thinkorswim platforms.
Trade equities, options, futures, and forex—all on the same platform.
- Analyze trades and receive real-time updates on profit and loss.
- Take advantage of up-to-the-minute market news and insights.
- Get forex charting tools with hundreds of studies and indicators available.
- Access desktop, mobile, and web platforms.
Rated Best in Class Overall and #1 Charting Technology
ForexBrokers.com,1 2025
Rated Best Investing Platform for Forex Trading
U.S. News & World Report,2 2024
Build on your forex knowledge and trading skills.
Schwab Network™
Tune in for the latest market news, plus thoughts on how it might impact your forex strategies.**
**Schwab Network is brought to you by Charles Schwab Media Productions Company ("CSMPC"). CSMPC and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. are separate but affiliated subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation. CSMPC is not a financial advisor, registered investment advisor, broker-dealer, or futures commission merchant.
Tap into our team of dedicated forex specialists, 24/5.
Need help using our platforms or placing a trade? Just want to talk through a forex trade idea? Our Trade Desk team is available to help from 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday through 6 p.m. ET on Friday. Call us at 800-435-9050.
Ready to trade?
Not yet a Schwab client?
Open a brokerage account online, then go to the Getting Started page for next steps.
Already a client?
Use your eligible brokerage account to open a forex trading account.
Forex FAQs
Forex, short for foreign exchange, is an over-the-counter market that allows investors to speculate on changes in currency prices. Forex is traded in pairs, meaning you are buying one currency while simultaneously selling another. Learn more about forex trading.
Currency pairs available at Schwab.
| Currency | Pairs |
|---|---|
| AUD (Australian Dollar) | AUD/CAD, AUD/CHF, AUD/JPY, AUD/NOK, AUD/NZD, AUD/PLN, AUD/SGD, AUD/USD |
| CAD (Canadian Dollar) | CAD/CHF, CAD/JPY, CAD/NOK, CAD/PLN |
| CHF (Swiss Franc) | CHF/HUF, CHF/JPY, CHF/NOK, CHF/PLN |
| EUR (Euro) | EUR/AUD, EUR/CAD, EUR/CHF, EUR/CZK, EUR/DKK, EUR/GBP, EUR/HKD, EUR/HUF, EUR/JPY, EUR/MXN, EUR/NOK, EUR/NZD, EUR/PLN, EUR/SEK, EUR/SGD, EUR/USD, EUR/ZAR |
| GBP (Pound Sterling) | GBP/AUD, GBP/CAD, GBP/CHF, GBP/DKK, GBP/HKD, GBP/JPY, GBP/NOK, GBP/NZD, GBP/PLN, GBP/SEK, GBP/SGD, GBP/USD, GBP/ZAR |
| HKD (Hong Kong Dollar) | HKD/JPY |
| NOK (Norwegian Kroner) | NOK/SEK, NOK/JPY |
| NZD (New Zealand Dollar) | NZD/CAD, NZD/CHF, NZD/JPY, NZD/USD |
| SGD (Singapore Dollar) | SGD/HKD, SGD/JPY |
| USD (U.S. Dollar) | USD/CAD, USD/CHF, USD/CZK, USD/DKK, USD/HKD, USD/HUF, USD/ILS, USD/JPY, USD/MXN, USD/NOK, USD/PLN, USD/SEK, USD/SGD, USD/ZAR |
| ZAR (South African Rand) | ZAR/JPY |
Forex trading is commission-free and trade costs are reflected in the bid-ask spread.
Forex trading involves using margin to establish a position in a larger investment with a relatively small amount of money. This means it's highly leveraged, which creates the potential for larger returns but also puts you at risk of losing more than your initial investment, even with very small price movements. Read more about forex margin.