Why Does a New Put Trade Add to My Existing Position Instead of Opening a Separate One?

TradersPost adds to existing options positions by default, rather than opening separate ones. To trade multiple strike prices, traders must specify the full contract symbol in their trade request.

2 Min Read Published December 11, 2024 Updated August 6, 2026 Reviewed by Mike Christensen Fact-checked by Mike Christensen

‍Understanding How TradersPost Manages Options Positions

When sending a trade signal to open a put position in TradersPost, traders may expect the system to create a new contract at a different strike price. However, by default, TradersPost adds to an existing position if the same options contract is already open.

For example:

• If a trader buys a put at the $22 strike and later sends a new order expecting to open a $24 strike put, the trader cannot hold both positions open in the same broker account¹.

This happens because TradersPost tracks positions based on the root underlying symbol, meaning that additional orders for the same symbol automatically increment the existing position unless otherwise specified.

Options Position Limits

TradersPost only supports one directional options position per underlying ticker in the same broker account, although the full options contract symbol can specify:¹

• The ticker symbol (e.g., SPY)

• The expiration date

• The option type (P for put, C for call)

• The strike price

Defining the full contract symbol does not allow different strikes to be held as separate positions in the same broker account¹.

Conclusion

By default, TradersPost increments existing options positions rather than opening new ones at different strikes. To trade different strike prices, traders must close the existing options position before opening another on the same underlying ticker in the same broker account¹. A full contract symbol does not allow different strike prices to be treated as separate positions in the same broker account¹.