Earn interest on USD cash at eToro: complete guide

How eToro's rates work

eToro pays only on USD cash balances — there's no EUR or GBP option. If you deposit in GBP or EUR, your funds are converted to USD first (standard conversion fee applies). The rate you receive depends on your region and your total realised equity — that's invested + cash combined, not just cash.

Rates for EU, UK, Jersey, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Isle of Man

Clients registered in Germany get the top rate (3.55%) regardless of balance size.

Rates for all other regions

Outside the EU/UK, entry starts at $10,000 — below that, no interest is paid.

How it works

• Opt-in required — interest isn't automatic. You need to toggle it on in your Club Dashboard under "Interest on USD Cash Balance".
• Daily calculation — each day's USD cash balance is multiplied by the daily rate (annual ÷ 365) and accrued.
• Compound interest — previously paid interest earns interest too, as long as it stays in your balance.
• Monthly payout — credited automatically no later than the 5th business day of the following month, early morning GMT.
• Mid-month activation — you only earn from the day you opt in, not retroactively.

Eligibility

• Club Member account — you must be enrolled in the eToro Club tier system. Club membership is free and tier-based on deposits and assets.
• Active, verified account — blocked, non-verified or restricted accounts are excluded.
• Minimum balance — $1 (EU/UK) or $10,000 (other regions). Falls below the threshold and interest stops accruing.
• No fees — there are no additional charges for the interest programme itself (but standard currency-conversion fees apply on non-USD deposits).

Currency conversion caveat

Interest is only paid on USD. If you deposit GBP, EUR or another currency and convert to USD to earn interest, you're taking on FX risk: if the USD weakens against your home currency, your headline interest gain can be wiped out by the exchange-rate move. For non-USD savers, XTB (which pays interest on GBP and EUR natively) is often the safer choice.

How eToro compares (top USD/GBP rates, April 2026)

Tax

Interest income is taxable. It's your responsibility to declare it and pay any tax due in your country of residence. In some jurisdictions eToro is required to withhold tax at source and remit it directly to the authority — check your eToro account for details. Australian residents who haven't submitted a TFN may have withholding tax applied at the statutory maximum.

Fund safeguards

eToro (Europe) Ltd is a member of the Cyprus Investor Compensation Fund, which compensates investors up to €20,000 if the firm fails. Client cash held at eligible European banks may also be covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000 per depositor, per bank.

eToro (UK) Ltd is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) — up to £85,000 per eligible client. Cash held with third-party banks may attract deposit protection up to £120,000 per eligible client, per authorised firm (subject to CASS arrangements).

Funds held in qualifying money market funds are investments, not bank deposits, and aren't covered by deposit guarantee schemes.

Who benefits most

• USD holders — if you already trade US stocks and hold USD, the top rate is genuinely competitive.
• Germany-based clients — flat 3.55% from the first dollar is the best mainstream-broker deal on USD in the EU.
• High-balance investors — the $50k+ tier unlocks 3.55% across EU/UK; $250k+ in other regions.
• Copy traders and US-equity buyers — idle USD between trades earns without any extra setup.

How to activate

1. Log in to your eToro account (or open one if you don't have one).
2. Make sure you hold the minimum total balance for your region.
3. Open the Club Dashboard.
4. Scroll to "Interest on Balance" and switch from Disabled to Active.
5. Interest starts accruing from that day forward.

Key parameters at a glance