Trading

What is commission (brokerage)?

Commission — or brokerage — is the fee your bank or broker charges each time you buy or sell a security. It can be a fixed amount (say 4 € per trade) or a percentage of the amount (say 0.1%, often with a minimum). The differences between providers are big — and they matter most when you trade small amounts.

Why it matters most for small amounts

Buy for 100 and pay 4 in commission, and you have paid 4% — the stock has to rise almost 4% just for you to break even. And then you pay commission again when you sell. Buy for 2,000, and the same 4 is only 0.2%.

So: if you trade small amounts, commission is the most important cost you have. Buy less often and for larger amounts at a time, or choose a provider with a low minimum.

What it typically costs (approximate, 2026)

Domestic stocks at Nordic providers typically cost between 0 and about 4 € per trade as a minimum, or 0.05–0.15% of the amount. Foreign stocks typically cost a little more and carry a currency exchange fee on top, often 0.25–0.5%. Always check the provider's own price list — they change.

Providers with "zero commission" make their money on the spread and currency exchange instead. Free does not exist; it just sits somewhere else.

The other costs

Commission is only the visible one. On top come spread, currency exchange on foreign stocks, possibly a custody fee — and for funds their TER. Add them up before comparing providers. The cheapest commission is not always the cheapest overall.

Kiggo says: Commission is the entry ticket. The more often you go in and out, the more tickets you buy.

The typical beginner's mistake

Trading often for small amounts. Ten trades of 50 each with 4 in commission is 40 — 8% of the money — before the stocks have moved at all. One trade of 500 costs 4.

How you see it in Kiggo

Under "Get started" in Kiggo there is a guide to choosing a broker with approximate prices for what the different ones charge per trade — including currency fees on foreign stocks.

Frequently asked questions

Is commission the same as a fee?

Commission is the trading fee specifically — what you pay per buy and sell. There can be other fees on top: custody fee, currency exchange, a fee for receiving foreign dividends.

Is commission tax-deductible?

Indirectly, in most countries. The commission is added to the purchase price and deducted from the sale price, so your taxable gain is smaller. In Denmark this usually happens automatically via your provider's reporting.

Kiggo explains — Kiggo does not advise. We never tell you what to buy or sell, and key figures can only be compared between companies in the same industry. The decision is yours. Last updated 2026-09-07.

Written by Claus Frisch, founder of Kiggo. Not an adviser, not a bank — Kiggo explains, you decide.