Last updated: 8 October 2026. The menu screenshot was recorded on 5 October 2026 on an IQ Option Practice account registered in Brazil, and the two expiry screenshots are from the same day. We placed no real-money trade. The definitions come from IQ Option’s blog on Blitz, binary and digital options and from its published terms, saved on 5 October 2026. What a trader can choose, and which payouts and expiries are offered, depends on the asset, the time and the country.
An option on IQ Option is a contract on where a price will be when a set time arrives. You choose an asset, an amount, an expiry and a direction, Higher or Lower, and at expiry you are paid a payout if you were right or lose the amount if you were wrong. You never receive the asset: IQ Option’s blog says that when you buy or sell one of its options you are not getting the asset itself, you are deciding whether its price will rise or fall over a set period. There are three types in the Options menu: Blitz, Binary and Digital.
Quick answer
- What it is: a contract on where a price will be at a set time. You choose the asset, amount, expiry and Higher or Lower; you never receive the asset.
- Three types: Blitz (30 seconds and up; 5 seconds for VIP), Binary (1 minute to 1 month) and Digital (1, 5 and 15 minutes, with a strike), according to IQ Option’s blog.
- Assets on 5 October 2026 (13:24): Blitz 122, Binary 143, Digital 119; the numbers change during the day.
- Call and put: a call is a Higher option, a put is a Lower option.
- Break-even: a trader has to win more than 1 ÷ (1 + payout) of the trades: more than 52.6% at a 90% payout.
What are options?
In the traditional meaning, an option is a contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a preset price on or before a set date, and the price of the contract is called the premium. A company that fears a rising oil price can buy such an option. IQ Option’s options are a different kind of contract. Its terms define a digital option contract as a derivative in which the client earns a payout if the client correctly predicts the price movement of the underlying asset at the time of expiry. There is no exercise and no delivery of oil, shares or currency; you take part in the price movement and the contract ends by itself.
In a traditional option, with oil as the usual example, a call option gives you the right to buy and a put option the right to sell. On IQ Option the two directions have simpler names: a call is a Higher option, which profits if the closing price is above the strike, and a put is a Lower option, which profits if it is below.
Specific terms for trading options
| Term | What it means on IQ Option |
|---|---|
| Purchase time (deadline) | The last moment at which you can buy. A dotted white line on the chart marks it, and the panel shows a countdown. |
| Expiration time | The time at which the option closes by itself. The expiry is drawn on the chart as a red line. |
| Strike price | The target level the closing price has to exceed (Higher) or fall below (Lower). For a binary option it is the entry price; for a digital option you choose it. |
| Payout | The profit you receive if your prediction is correct, shown on the panel before you buy. |
| Premium | The price of a traditional option contract. On IQ Option you choose the amount to invest instead. |
Different types of options at IQ Option
These steps use the web traderoom on a Practice balance. The numbers in each screenshot match the numbers in the text.
Click + in the top bar and open Options (1). It lists Blitz (2), Binary (3) and Digital (4), each with the number of assets in it. On 5 October 2026 at 13:24 on the platform clock (UTC−3) the counts were Blitz 122, Binary 143 and Digital 119, and the same menu listed 697 margin assets. The counts change during the day and with the markets that are open. The list shows each asset’s payout in the Profit column (5): 90% on every row of the Blitz list on the screenshot.
Blitz options
IQ Option’s blog describes Blitz options as high-speed, fixed-time trades where you predict whether the price will go up or down. Standard users have expirations starting at 30 seconds, and VIP users from 5 seconds; the blog says they are available on 100 or more assets and that a successful prediction can earn up to 95%.
Binary options trading at IQ Option
A binary option is a prediction of direction only. IQ Option’s blog gives binary expirations from 1 minute to 1 month, a potential profitability of up to 95%, and a risk that cannot exceed the amount invested or the preset percentage. On the EUR/USD binary list of 5 October 2026 the two payout columns showed 91% and 93%, and the expiry list ended with End of the Day, End of the Week and End of the Month.
Digital options
A digital option adds the strike price: you choose the level that the price has to pass, and the payout changes with it. IQ Option’s blog gives digital expirations of 1, 5 and 15 minutes and a potential profitability of up to 900%, and says that a digital loss can exceed the initial investment, which we did not check on the trade panel. The guide how to start with digital options follows the steps.
Comparison of IQ Option trading types
| | Blitz | Binary | Digital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you choose | Amount, expiry, Higher or Lower | Amount, expiry, Higher or Lower | Amount, expiry, strike, Higher or Lower |
| Expiries (IQ Option’s blog) | From 30 seconds; from 5 seconds for VIP | 1 minute to 1 month | 1, 5 and 15 minutes |
| Payout | Up to 95% | Up to 95%, fixed before you buy | Up to 900%, changes with the strike |
| Assets on 5 October 2026 (13:24) | 122 | 143 | 119 |
None of the three has a stop loss or a take profit; an option ends at its expiry time, and some can be sold before it, according to IQ Option’s blog. For margin (CFD) trading, which has no expiry, see what is a CFD.
Pros and Cons of options on IQ Option
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A fixed expiry, and the payout of a binary option is shown before you buy, so the result of each trade is one of two numbers. | Each trade can lose its whole amount, and there is no stop loss. |
| Short expiries, from seconds to minutes, and a Practice balance of $10,000 to rehearse on. | A payout under 100% means a trader has to win more than 1 ÷ (1 + payout) of the trades to break even: more than 52.6% at 90%, and more than 54.1% at 85%. |
| Three types, so a rule can use the expiry that fits it. | IQ Option’s blog says a digital loss can exceed the investment. |
Common mistakes
- Treating a Higher option as a stock purchase. You do not own the asset; you hold a contract that ends at its expiry.
- Choosing the type by its biggest payout. A larger payout, such as a digital strike far from the price, comes with a smaller chance of winning.
- Ignoring the break-even rate. At a 90% payout a trader who wins half of the trades loses money.
Related guides
- Binary options and digital options compared and how to start with digital options
- What are FX options on IQ Option and selling options before expiration
- Expiry times on IQ Option
- All indicator guides and all strategy guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What types of options does IQ Option offer?
A: Blitz, Binary and Digital, in the Options menu. Margin (CFD) trading is a separate menu and has no expiry.
Q: What is the difference between a call and a put on IQ Option?
A: A call is a Higher option, which profits if the closing price is above the strike, and a put is a Lower option, which profits if it is below.
Q: Do I own the asset when I buy an option on IQ Option?
A: No. IQ Option’s blog says you are not getting the asset, only deciding whether its price will rise or fall over a set period.
Q: What is the shortest expiry?
A: IQ Option’s blog gives 30 seconds for standard users and 5 seconds for VIP users on Blitz options, and 1 minute for binary and digital options.
Q: Which type is best for a beginner?
A: None is shown to be better. A binary option has a fixed payout, so the break-even rate is one number. Try each on the Practice balance first.
Q: Are all three types available in every country?
A: We cannot say. The screenshots are from an account registered in Brazil, and what is offered depends on your country, so check the Options menu on your own account.
