Why did I pay more than the market price? Spread, price protection and quotes that won't load

Why did I pay more than the chart price when I used Buy/Sell or Convert?

Applies to: Buy/Sell and Convert, at the moment you're shown a quote.

Buy/Sell and Convert quote you a single all-in price. That price isn't the mid-market price you see on the chart — it includes a spread, which is how the quote is priced.

OKX publishes the maximum spread it may apply. The current disclosure is a maximum of 1.00% across all pairs, and it can change, so check the live figure in the Buy, sell and convert spread disclosure (https://www.okx.com/en-eu/help/buy-sell-convert-spread-disclosure) rather than assuming a typical rate.

The spread isn't a loss, and it isn't a fee added afterwards — it's already inside the rate you're shown before you confirm. How this compares with trading on the order book is explained in How do Simple buy, sell and Spot trading differ? (https://www.okx.com/en-eu/help/how-do-simple-buy-sell-and-spot-trading-differ).

Convert shows no fees — why is the rate still worse than the chart price?

Applies to: Convert.

"No fees" on Convert means no separate fee line is charged for the conversion. The spread is still inside the rate you're quoted, so the amount you receive can be lower than the mid-market rate on the chart would suggest. Nothing is deducted after the fact — the quote you accept is what you get.

The rate and the amount you'll receive are both shown before you confirm, so compare that amount rather than the chart rate. More on how conversions work is in the Convert FAQ (https://my.okx.com/en-eu/help/eea-convert-faq).

How do I trade without paying a spread?

Applies to: Spot trading with a limit order.

Use a limit order on Spot instead. Go to Trade > Spot and margin, set your own price, and your order goes to the order book directly: you pay the trading fee for your fee tier, and no spread.

The trade-off is that a limit order only fills if the market reaches your price — it may not fill at all. Current fees are on the fee schedule (https://www.okx.com/en-eu/fees).

Why is a quote stuck on finding the best price, or failing to load?

Applies to: Buy/Sell and Convert on thinly traded tokens.

Buy/Sell needs a live quote for the full size you asked for. On a thinly traded token there may not be enough depth to quote that size, and the request can hang or fail. Two things that work:

• Break the order into smaller amounts and place them one after another.

• Switch to Spot and place a limit order. A limit order doesn't need a quote — it rests on the order book until it fills.

If neither works on a specific token, that's worth reporting rather than retrying: send support the token, the amount, and the time you tried.

Why was my Spot market order cancelled instead of filled?

Applies to: market orders on Spot and margin.

Spot market orders are covered by Spot and margin price protection. If the estimated execution price would fall outside the allowed range around the current best price, the order is cancelled rather than filled. This exists to stop you getting a very bad fill on a thin order book.

If a market order keeps being cancelled, place a limit order at the worst price you're willing to accept instead. For the exact thresholds, and for how this differs from an unfilled remainder being cancelled, see [article 105 — limit and market order guide] and Price limit rules (https://www.okx.com/en-eu/help/iii-price-limit-rules).

Why hasn't the price moved for hours, or why does the chart have gaps?

Applies to: Spot pairs with low trading activity.

The last price only changes when a trade happens. On a pair with little activity the price can sit unchanged for hours, and the candlestick chart can show flat stretches or gaps where no trades occurred. This isn't a display fault.

To check for yourself, look at the 24h volume and the order book. If volume is low and the book is thin, the chart is showing that there were no trades in those intervals. Switching to a longer interval such as 4H or 1D gives a more continuous picture.

Why is the price here different from the price on another platform?

Applies to: Spot pairs.

Each venue has its own order book, and the last price is simply the price of the most recent trade on that book. A pair with less depth can sit above or below the same pair elsewhere, and the difference can persist until trading brings the books back into line. Compare the order book and the 24h volume on both venues before treating a difference as an error.