Bitget Unified Trading Account Spot Margin Borrowing Rules

[Estimated reading time: 5 minutes]

Advanced mode and delta-neutral mode in the Bitget unified trading account (UTA) support automatic spot margin borrowing. If your balance is insufficient when you place an order, the system borrows the shortfall. Interest is charged hourly, and four repayment methods are available. This makes it suitable for traders who need flexibility to scale up their spot positions.

 

1. Which account modes support spot margin borrowing?

Only advanced mode supports spot margin borrowing. Basic mode and isolated margin mode don't.

Account mode	Spot margin borrowing
Isolated margin mode	Not supported
Basic mode	Not supported
Advanced mode	Supported

To use spot margin borrowing, make sure your account has been switched to advanced mode first (go to account mode switching rules).

 

2. When does the system borrow automatically?

The system always uses your own balance first. If your balance isn't enough to cover an order, it automatically borrows the shortfall, so you don't need to submit a request.Here are three common scenarios:

Scenario 1: Insufficient quote currency for a margin buy

You place a 5x leverage buy order for 5000 USDT worth of BTC, but your account only has 2000 USDT. The system uses the 2000 USDT first, then automatically borrows the remaining 3000 USDT to cover the order.

Scenario 2: Insufficient base currency for a margin sell (short)

You short ETH, but your ETH balance is zero. The system automatically borrows the ETH you need before executing the sell order.

Scenario 3: Margin order amount exceeds your available balance

For any margin order, if the amount of an asset the order requires exceeds your balance of that asset, the system borrows the difference.

Core logic: Amount borrowed = order amount – your balance of the asset being spent.The system only borrows when your balance falls short, using your own funds first and borrowing only the difference.

 

3. What does a negative balance mean?

It's normal for an asset balance to show as negative. It means you have an outstanding loan in that asset.For example, a USDT balance of –3000 means you currently owe 3000 USDT. A negative balance doesn't affect normal trading, and it returns to positive automatically once the loan is repaid.

 

4. How is borrowing interest calculated?

Spot margin interest is charged every hour, on the hour, 24 times a day.

• When interest starts: The next full hour after the loan is confirmed.

• When interest stops: As soon as the loan is fully repaid. There's no minimum interest charge.

• APR: Adjusted dynamically based on the asset and market supply and demand. For the latest rates, check borrowing, interest, and repayment.

Tip: The shorter you hold a position, the less interest you’ll pay.For short-term trades, keep an eye on when you open and close positions.

 

5. When does the interest-free quota apply?

The interest-free quota applies only when your position has an unrealized loss. If your position is in profit, interest is charged on the full borrowed amount and the quota doesn't apply.

How the interest-free amount is calculated:

Each hour, when interest is calculated, the system works out the interest-free amount as follows:

Interest-free amount = min(current unrealized loss, interest-free cap for that asset). Interest-bearing amount = total amount borrowed – interest-free amount

 

Interest-free caps for major assets (as of July 2026):

Asset	Interest-free cap
USDT	10,000
USDC	10,000
BTC	0.1
ETH	4

For interest-free quotas on other assets, go to the borrowing rates page.

Examples:

• Scenario A (unrealized loss): You've borrowed 8000 USDT, and your position has an unrealized loss of 5000 USDT. Of this, 5000 USDT is interest-free, and interest is charged on the remaining 3000 USDT.

• Scenario B (unrealized profit): You've borrowed 8000 USDT, and your position has an unrealized profit of 2000 USDT. Because there’s no unrealized loss, the interest-free amount is 0, and interest is charged on the full 8000 USDT.

 

6. What repayment methods are available?Four methods explained

Method 1: Automatic repayment when you sell

When you sell an asset, the proceeds are added to your balance and automatically offset any outstanding loan in that asset.For example, if you sell BTC for USDT and have an outstanding USDT loan, the added USDT automatically offsets the loan.No extra steps are needed, and it takes effect as soon as the trade is filled.

Method 2: Automatic repayment when you transfer in

When you transfer an asset into your unified trading account, the amount transferred automatically tops up your balance and offsets any loan in that asset.For example, if you owe 1500 USDT (shown as –1500 USDT) and transfer in 2000 USDT, 1500 USDT repays the loan, leaving you with a net balance increase of 500 USDT.

Method 3: Manual repayment

Go to the assets page, select the asset you owe, and manually submit a repayment for the amount you want.This is useful when you need precise control over the repayment amount.

Method 4: Quick repayment

If your account holds both an asset with a positive balance (such as ETH) and an asset with liabilities (such as an outstanding USDT loan), you can use quick repayment. The system automatically converts the asset with the positive balance and uses it to repay the loan, so you don't need to handle each asset manually.

Quick repayment limits: This feature is disabled automatically once your margin usage ratio (maintenance margin ÷ adjusted equity) reaches 90% or higher, to prevent the conversion from triggering liquidation (go to Liquidation mechanism). If this happens, transfer funds in (method 2) or repay manually (method 3) instead.

 

7. Main accounts and sub-accounts share the same borrowing limit

The main account and all its sub-accounts share a single combined borrowing limit. It isn't calculated separately for each account.

Example: If the main account has borrowed 50 BTC and sub-account A has borrowed 30 BTC, they've used 80 BTC of the combined borrowing limit.If any account tries to borrow beyond the remaining limit, the system shows “Main and sub-account borrowing limit exceeded.”

Note for institutional users and multi-account managers: If you manage multiple sub-accounts, borrowing across all of them is calculated together. Check regularly that your total borrowing stays within the combined limit for your main account and sub-accounts.

 

8. Can borrowed assets be transferred?

Borrowed assets can be transferred, but you need to manually enable the Borrowed Asset Transfer feature (disabled by default).

Restrictions:

• This only applies to transfers within the same account. Borrowed assets can’t be transferred between a main account and its sub-accounts, or between sub-accounts (for details, go to Available and transferable amount rules).

• Borrowed assets can't be transferred out of institutional loan accounts.

• Interest continues to accrue on borrowed assets transferred out until the loan is fully repaid.

 

9. FAQs

1. I didn't borrow anything myself. Why does my account show a negative balance?

A negative balance means the system automatically borrowed the shortfall during a margin trade because your balance wasn’t enough to cover it.This is normal and not an error.Your balance returns to positive once the loan is repaid.To avoid automatic borrowing, make sure your available balance covers the full order amount before you place an order.

2. What happens to my existing loans if I switch back to basic mode or isolated margin mode?

Before you switch to basic mode or isolated margin mode (go to account mode switching rules), you must close all cross-margin positions and open orders, and repay all outstanding loans. You can switch only once these steps are complete.If any loans remain outstanding, the system will block the switch.

3. When is hourly interest charged?

Interest is calculated and deducted automatically on the hour, every hour (12:00 AM, 1:00 AM, and so on through 11:00 PM), for a total of 24 times a day. Interest is still deducted as normal when you reduce a position. It's paused during liquidation and resumes once liquidation is complete (go to liquidation mechanism).

4. Does the interest-free quota apply at all when my position is in profit?

No.The interest-free quota is based on your position's current unrealized loss.  When your position is in profit, the unrealized loss is zero, so the interest-free amount = min(0, interest-free cap) = 0. Interest is charged on the full borrowed amount at the standard rate.

5. What should I do if I exceed the combined borrowing limit for my main account and sub-accounts?

Check the total currently borrowed across your main account and all sub-accounts. Repay some of the outstanding loans to free up room within the limit, then borrow again.