A forex pair made up of two major currencies that does NOT include the US dollar — like EUR/GBP or AUD/JPY.
Minor pairs (sometimes called "crosses") are pairs between two major currencies where neither one is the USD. EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY, AUD/JPY, EUR/AUD, GBP/CHF — these are all minors. They're called "crosses" because historically, to trade them you'd have to cross through USD (sell EUR for USD, then buy GBP with USD). Modern brokers quote them directly.
Minors are still very liquid — spreads are typically 1-2 pips on most of them — but they tend to be more volatile than majors. GBP/JPY is famous for moving 150+ pips a day, sometimes 300+. The volatility makes them attractive to swing traders and dangerous to scalpers who don't size down.
Minors are also where you find pure plays on currency strength. Trade EUR/GBP and you're trading euro vs pound directly, with no USD interference. That makes them useful when the USD is in a weird sideways regime.
GBP/JPY in 2024 averaged 145 pips of daily range. A trader who set 25-pip stops based on EUR/USD habits got stopped out 80% of the time on what were otherwise valid setups.
Frequently asked about minor pair
What is a minor pair in trading?+
A forex pair made up of two major currencies that does NOT include the US dollar — like EUR/GBP or AUD/JPY.
When will I see minor pair used in real trading?+
After you've mastered majors and want to express a view on a non-USD currency. Great for trading European session vs Asian session strength.
What is the most common mistake traders make with minor pair?+
Treating minors like majors with the same stop sizes. GBP/JPY's average daily range is 50% bigger than EUR/USD. A 20-pip stop that works on EUR/USD will get hunted on GBP/JPY before lunch.
What do experienced traders know about minor pair that beginners don't?+
Use the ATR (average true range) to set stops on minors. If GBP/JPY's daily ATR is 130 pips, your minimum stop on a daily setup should be at least 30-40 pips, not 15.
Read the lesson here. Mark the chart on TradingView. Compare brokers with the checklist.
TradingView is the chart workspace most learners already recognize: watchlists, alerts, drawings, and clean multi-market charts. Broker research stays methodology-first: jurisdiction, costs, platform, withdrawals, and risk before any account decision.