We may earn a commission through these partner links. Demo funds are virtual; access and country eligibility depend on the platform terms. Disclosure
The decimals shown on a screen may not describe the full precision of its stored data. Distinguish display formatting, permitted price increments and settlement precision before interpreting a tie.
Separate three concepts
Display precision controls how many decimal places are visible. Tick size describes a specified price increment in a particular context. Stored or settlement precision concerns the values actually used in a calculation.
These can differ. TradingView’s documentation explains examples where displayed prices are rounded while underlying variables retain more precision. That does not establish how a separate provider settles its contracts.
An original rounding example
Assume a screen shows two decimals. Values 100.004 and 100.001 could both display as 100.00 under ordinary rounding, yet the first remains greater than the second.
A screenshot of two equal displayed values therefore does not prove that the stored values were equal. The governing rule must establish which precision and rounding convention is used.
Questions for a settlement investigation
| Question | Evidence |
|---|---|
| What was displayed? | Original labelled screenshot |
| What was accepted? | Contract entry record |
| What was used at expiry? | Settlement record and rule |
| Was rounding applied? | Documented convention |
| What is the tie rule? | Applicable product terms |
Formatting does not change the underlying trade
Changing the visible decimal setting can make a chart easier to read, but should not be assumed to change an already accepted contract’s entry or settlement.
Keep the original display setting when preserving evidence. If you later change it to investigate, label the new screenshot rather than presenting it as the original screen.
Use careful numeric comparisons in a worksheet
Avoid rounding intermediate values unnecessarily. Store the original quoted numbers and create a separate display column. If the provider rounds before comparing, model that documented rule explicitly.
Do not impose an arbitrary tolerance and call near-equal values a contractual tie. A tolerance can be useful for analysis while still differing from the product’s actual settlement rule.
What cannot be inferred
Extra decimals do not prove better pricing, and fewer decimals do not prove manipulation. Precision is a technical characteristic that requires context.
If the provider cannot explain its settlement precision, record the gap. A precise-looking result should not conceal the fact that its governing comparison rule remains undocumented.
Tick size is not simply the last visible decimal
A fictional instrument might permit prices in increments of 0.05 while its screen displays two decimals. Values such as 100.00, 100.05 and 100.10 fit that assumed increment. Displaying 100.03 with two decimals would not by itself establish that 100.03 is an allowed order price.
Conversely, increasing a chart’s displayed decimals does not create smaller tradable increments. Read the instrument specification and order validation rules. A chart setting, a calculated indicator and an accepted contract record can each have a different purpose.
Equal on screen, different before rounding
| Illustrative value | Display to two decimals | Unrounded comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Entry: 100.001 | 100.00 | Lower than the example expiry value |
| Expiry: 100.004 | 100.00 | Higher than the example entry value |
| Difference: 0.003 | 0.00 if separately rounded | Positive before rounding |
The table assumes ordinary rounding for display. It does not specify any provider’s settlement method. If a contract instead requires rounding each reference before comparison, that documented procedure must be applied explicitly. The same visible screenshot can therefore be insufficient to determine which comparison the contract actually required.
Official chart settings describe presentation
TradingView’s support page locates display precision in Chart Settings under Symbol. Its Pine documentation also discusses differences between rounded chart displays and underlying values. These examples support checking formatting and data separately; they do not establish access to a broker’s internal settlement data.
Keep an unchanged copy of the original screenshot and note its settings. A later view with extra decimals can assist investigation, but it should be labelled as a later view. Do not imply that newly visible digits were shown on the original screen.
Build an auditable calculation sheet
- Preserve the source values exactly as supplied, including the stated precision.
- Keep source timestamps, instrument identifiers and price types beside the numbers.
- Create separate display and comparison columns rather than overwriting the originals.
- Record the rounding rule, its stage and the relevant contract version.
- Calculate the result according to that rule and retain any unresolved data gap.
A spreadsheet can make two values appear equal through cell formatting while still comparing their stored numbers. Check formulas against original inputs before interpreting the displayed result. If the export supplies only rounded data, extra decimal formatting cannot reconstruct the missing digits.
Do not invent the tie rule
A tie could have a particular refund, loss, cancellation or other treatment depending on the product. This guide does not assume which applies. First establish what equality means under the contract, then establish the consequence of that equality.
An analyst’s tolerance, such as treating differences below 0.01 as negligible, is not automatically a contractual rule. It can be useful for comparing datasets, but it must be clearly labelled. Never convert an analytical convenience into a claim about how an actual accepted contract should settle.
A precise support question
Ask which entry and expiry values were used, their comparison precision, whether rounding occurred before or after comparison, and which clause defines the outcome. Include the contract identifier through a genuine support route. Keep a written answer and its source rather than guessing from the number of displayed digits.
A reply can explain the recorded calculation without independently proving the quote’s source or correctness. Those remain separate evidence questions. Our market-data academy and research methodology help distinguish observation, calculation and inference.
Frequently asked questions
Does more decimal precision mean a better price?
No. More visible digits describe presentation or data granularity. They do not establish better execution, source quality or provider reliability.
Can changing chart precision change a completed trade?
Do not assume so. A display setting is not evidence that accepted contract values or settlement rules have changed.
Can I recover hidden precision from a screenshot?
No. Request the applicable source record. A screenshot containing rounded values does not reveal all digits used elsewhere.
Does a rounding explanation settle every dispute?
No. It is one possible technical issue. Establish the actual values and rules before attributing a result to rounding.
Original conceptual teaching visual. Illustrative values and schedules below are not current broker quotes, platform screenshots or verified provider behaviour.
A. Two distinct records, one rounded display
100.004
↓ two decimals
100.00
100.001
↓ two decimals
100.00
The displayed values match, but the original records differ by 0.003. Apply the documented comparison precision; do not invent missing digits from a screenshot.
B. Illustrative tick grid: 0.005 increments
100.000●
100.005●
100.010
On this hypothetical grid, 100.003 is not a valid tick, even though it has three decimal places. Decimal display length does not determine the permitted increment. This grid is a separate example from panel A.
The rounding illustration and tick grid do not assert a broker’s actual precision rules. Obtain the instrument specification, unrounded recorded values and equality treatment. A possible rounding explanation alone does not resolve an actual dispute.
Sources and research scope
Public-source review: 25 October 2026. Examples are illustrative. Documentary research does not represent funded-account testing. Rules must be checked against the current product, entity and customer location.
Related research
Market data academy · Research methodology · Calculation tools
Risk: Fixed-outcome contracts can lose the entire stake. No chart pattern, calculator or demo result guarantees future returns.