What Is a Partial Fill and How Does It Work?

Cryptoassets are high-risk investments and may not be suitable for all investors. Their prices can be highly volatile, and you could lose some or all of the money you invest.

Cryptoassets are not regulated in the same way as traditional investments and are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Protection from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is limited.

During periods of extreme market volatility, liquidity may be reduced, which can affect your ability to buy or sell crypto at your desired price.

You should take time to understand how crypto works and the risks involved before investing. For more information, visit IG’s Crypto Risks page.

What is a partial fill?

A partial fill occurs when your order cannot be completely executed at the requested amount due to liquidity conditions.

Why partial fills happen

Several factors can cause partial fills:

• Lower liquidity for certain tokens - Smaller or newer cryptocurrencies may have less trading volume
• Large order sizes - Orders that exceed available market depth
• Rapid price movements - Prices changing quickly during order execution
• High market volatility - Extreme market conditions reducing available liquidity

What happens with partial fills

When a partial fill occurs:

1. Your order is submitted to the market
2. The available amount fills immediately
3. The unfilled portion is automatically refunded to your source account
4. You receive a notification of the partial fill
5. Your transaction history shows the exact amount filled

How to track your fills

You can monitor all your trades, including partial fills:

• Activity history shows the exact amount filled for each trade
• Portfolio reflects the crypto you actually received
• Account balance shows the refunded cash instantly
• Partial fills are clearly marked in your transaction records

How to minimize partial fills

While partial fills are normal and not a problem, you can reduce their likelihood:

• Trade during high-liquidity periods - More market participants means better liquidity
• Use smaller order sizes - Break large orders into multiple smaller trades
• Check token information - Review market data on the token detail page before trading
• Focus on major tokens - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other popular cryptocurrencies have better liquidity

What if I want to buy the remainder?

If your order partially fills and you still want the unfilled amount:

1. The refunded cash is available in your account immediately
2. You can submit a new order for the remaining amount

Understanding the refund

Automatic and instant:

• Refunds happen within seconds of the partial fill
• No need to contact support
• Refunded to the same account you used to fund the trade

Full transparency:

• You see exactly how much was filled
• You see exactly how much was refunded
• All amounts are tracked in your activity history

Is a partial fill a problem?

No - partial fills are normal market behavior. They occur when:

• Market liquidity cannot support your full order size
• The cryptocurrency has lower trading volume
• Market conditions are volatile

This is not an error or a technical issue - it's how cryptocurrency markets work.

Trade execution tracking

All filled amounts are:

• Recorded on our ledger system
• Visible in your portfolio immediately
• Documented in your transaction history
• Included in your statements

You have complete visibility of every trade, whether fully or partially filled.

For questions about partial fills or trade execution, contact our support team. 

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