Your debt often grows not because you haven't repaid, but because interest is automatically added to your total debt. Right after paying off the principal, the next round of interest pushes the debt number up again.
On OKX, interest is settled once every hour on the hour, and it is directly added to your debt. That's why the amount slowly grows. To avoid interest piling on interest, you need to understand the repayment order and timing of interest charges.
Step 1: Make Sure You Repay in the Right Order
Many users get the order wrong when repaying. OKX's rule is: interest is paid first, then principal.
What to do: No matter if you're using contract, cross-currency, or spot account mode, the system always deducts accumulated interest first. Only the leftover goes toward the principal.
If you only repay a partial amount, the system fills the interest hole first. The principal might not get touched at all.
If interest isn't fully cleared, more interest arrives on the next hour, making it look like you're repaying but debt is increasing.
Successful check: Confirm that your repayment amount was larger than the total interest due.
Common mistake: People see a larger debt number than last month and think the platform overcharged them. In reality, interest is added to your debt balance on every hour, not deducted separately. It makes the debt number bigger. If you don't repay the principal for a long time, interest keeps building in the background, making it seem like you never repaid.
Step 2: Understand When Interest "Grows"
OKX charges interest every hour, based on the whole hour, using 00:00 as reference.
Key details:
Interest calculation takes 10 minutes. During this period, new debts are also counted.
If you repay within the 10 minutes before the hour, that loan will not generate interest.
Example: Borrow at 22:55, interest triggers at 23:00. If you repay at 22:57, no interest is charged.
What to do: Check your interest history to see at what time interest was added. Most interest is added within 10 minutes after the hour. If you can't repay right in that window, just wait until just after the hour to repay.
Successful check: You clearly know that interest is added "within 10 minutes after every whole hour," not calculated daily.
Step 3: Match Your Account Mode to the Right Repayment Method
Different modes have totally different repayment paths. If you go to the wrong place, you may never pay it off.
Case A: Contract Mode (Cross/Isolated Margin) – Auto Repay When Closing
In contract mode, the system automatically repays borrowed coins and interest as soon as you close your position. No manual action needed.
Note: Auto-repayment only covers the coins borrowed for that specific position. If you have other debts, you must handle them separately.
Case B: Cross-Currency Margin Mode – Must Manually Buy Coins to Repay After Closing
In cross-currency mode, after you close a position, the debt does not disappear automatically. Interest keeps adding to your total debt. You need to go to the spot market, buy the coin, and then repay.
Note: In cross-currency mode, you cannot switch trading modes while you have a debt. You must clear the debt first.
Case C: Spot Mode – Manual Repay
In spot mode, go to the "Assets" section, find the coin you owe, and click the "Repay" button below it.
If your available balance of that coin is not enough, the platform will prompt you to sell other assets to repay. Be careful: large conversions may take longer and cause big price slippage.
Successful check: You have confirmed your current account mode and know exactly where the repayment option is.
Risk reminder: In cross-currency margin mode, interest is directly added to your debt balance. If you don't actively buy and repay, your debt will keep swelling with every hourly settlement. When you later want to switch trading modes, you'll be stuck waiting because the debt is still there.
How to Verify Your Repayment Is Complete
After repaying, check the following:
Check debt balance: Go to "Assets" and see if the debt for that coin is zero. If there's still a number, it means some principal or interest remains unpaid.
Check interest history: In your interest records, see if the most recent interest charge has stopped.
Next Step to Save Interest: If you want to save on interest, remember that OKX calculates it every whole hour. If you borrow and then repay within 10 minutes before the next hour, no interest will be generated for that hour. It's smart to glance at the current time when you borrow – if it's less than 10 minutes to the hour, wait a few minutes after the hour to borrow or repay, so you don't get caught in the interest charging window.
