{"id":9257,"date":"2023-04-20T14:01:29","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T14:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/?p=9257"},"modified":"2025-05-15T15:32:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T15:32:30","slug":"what-is-sell-call-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Trying to make sense of selling a call in options trading? Your fevered \u201cwhat is sell call option\u201d Googling can now come to an end. Here\u2019s what it means\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling a call simply refers to selling the right, but not the obligation, to purchase shares of an underlying stock at a set price by a specified expiration date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still not sure what that means or why it matters? Keep reading \u2014 I promise it\u2019s not as complicated as it seems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, I\u2019ll guide you beyond basics like what does selling a call mean so you can gain a better understanding of this basic options trading strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll learn the mechanics of selling a call, precisely what happens when you sell a call, and why selling calls is a great way to add some income to your portfolio. <\/p>\n\n\n    <div id=\"callout-box-block_e615f010a91dcefb031e4eff8269847b\" class=\"callout-box promo\">\n        <div class=\"callout-box__icon-wrapper\">\n            <svg focusable=\"false\" class=\"callout-box__icon promo\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                <path d=\"M21.41 11.58l-9-9C12.05 2.22 11.55 2 11 2H4c-1.1 0-2 .9-2 2v7c0 .55.22 1.05.59 1.42l9 9c.36.36.86.58 1.41.58.55 0 1.05-.22 1.41-.59l7-7c.37-.36.59-.86.59-1.41 0-.55-.23-1.06-.59-1.42zM5.5 7C4.67 7 4 6.33 4 5.5S4.67 4 5.5 4 7 4.67 7 5.5 6.33 7 5.5 7z\"><\/path>            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-box__content\"><p><em><strong>150.4% average annualized returns&#8230;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Prefer to have someone else do the heavy lifting on your options trading journey? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/stockmarketguides\" target=\"_blank\">Stock Market Guides<\/a> offers more than just alerts \u2013 they offer real data on how each trade setup has historically performed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You&#8217;ll receive up to 40 alerts per month via email or text, showing the exact option to buy, with expiration and strike price details.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For just $69 a month, you get pre-market and regular market-hour picks, allowing you to tailor the service to your trading schedule. With the ability to customize based on price or holding time, this service gives you flexibility, transparency, and no upsells \u2013 just clear, actionable trade insights.<\/p>\n<p><em>* Average annualized return in backtests of all the option picks featured in this service.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/stockmarketguides\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Check out Stock Market Guides<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-36.png\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.vncratcyb0uz\"><strong>Buying vs Selling a Call Option<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we get to <em>what does it mean to sell a call<\/em>, let\u2019s go over a few basics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, what is a call option? &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A call option is the right but not the obligation to purchase shares at a predetermined price by a specified date, known as the <strong>expiration date<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like when stocks trade, there is a buyer and a seller for call option contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Buyers <\/strong>of call options are considered <strong>bullish <\/strong>since they anticipate the underlying stock&#8217;s price is likely to <strong>rise<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sellers <\/strong>of call options are considered <strong>bearish <\/strong>since they anticipate the underlying stock&#8217;s price is likely to <strong>fall<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-37.png\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>To put that in context, it may help to understand a few more basic mechanics of options trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you sell a call option, you receive a payment from the option buyer. This payment is referred to as the <strong>premium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This premium is the <strong>buyer&#8217;s cost<\/strong>&nbsp;to gain the \u201coption\u201d to purchase a stock at a predetermined price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, the premium is the <strong>income the seller receives<\/strong>&nbsp;for taking on the risk of selling a call. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every option contract includes a <strong>strike price<\/strong>. When the underlying stock price rises <strong>above <\/strong>the strike price, the call option is considered <strong>in-the-money<\/strong>&nbsp;and can now be exercised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, the call option is considered out-of-the-money when the underlying stock price is <strong>below <\/strong>the strike price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The call option contract is deemed <strong>at-the-money <\/strong>when the strike and stock price are the <strong>same<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stock price actually isn&#8217;t the only thing that plays into the profitability of your options contracts though. Learn about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-vega-in-options\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vega options Greek<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/bearish-option-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bearish options strategies<\/a> to broaden your understanding before you dive in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve got it, let\u2019s move on to the sell call option meaning\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-38.png\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.uk3lpwm6a65x\"><strong>What Does it Mean to Sell a Call?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What is sell&nbsp;call option? Well, when you put it that way, you sound like a caveman. So let me put it in simple terms for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling a call option is selling the choice to purchase shares of an underlying stock at a specified price <strong>if <\/strong>the following criteria are met:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>The stock price reaches or surpasses the strike price.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The strike price is reached <strong>before <\/strong>the option contract expires.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Call options are denoted as contracts. Each contract represents 100 shares of a particular equity. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One call option contract<\/strong>&nbsp;on Apple represents <strong>100 shares<\/strong>&nbsp;of the company. <br><em>(Ex: If the call is exercised before expiration, the call seller must sell 100 shares of Apple to the call buyer at the strike price.)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Five call option contracts <\/strong>on Apple represent <strong>500 shares<\/strong>&nbsp;of the company. <br><em>(Ex: If the call is exercised before expiration, the call seller must sell 500 shares of Apple to the call buyer at the strike price.)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.i0t9ojhx9782\"><strong>Why Sell Calls?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving beyond what is sell call option, let\u2019s talk about the why behind this trading strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Selling calls can provide the seller with a consistent and recurring additional source of income in their portfolio. Traders sell calls if they believe they can profit from the trade. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many instances, buyers of call options are making far out-of-the-money bets. The likelihood of these far out-of-the-money options being exercised may be extremely low, thereby delivering frequent profits to the seller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling call options is a widely used trading approach. In fact, some full-time traders focus exclusively on this strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, stocks may appreciate sufficiently in some instances, placing the option in-the-money.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div id=\"callout-box-block_87a21e03d50431c722a99807fecb3c8c\" class=\"callout-box info\">\n        <div class=\"callout-box__icon-wrapper\">\n            <svg focusable=\"false\" class=\"callout-box__icon info\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                <path d=\"M12 3c-.46 0-.93.04-1.4.14-2.76.53-4.96 2.76-5.48 5.52-.48 2.61.48 5.01 2.22 6.56.43.38.66.91.66 1.47V19c0 1.1.9 2 2 2h.28c.35.6.98 1 1.72 1s1.38-.4 1.72-1H14c1.1 0 2-.9 2-2v-2.31c0-.55.22-1.09.64-1.46C18.09 13.95 19 12.08 19 10c0-3.87-3.13-7-7-7zm2 16h-4v-1h4v1zm0-2h-4v-1h4v1zm-1.5-5.59V14h-1v-2.59L9.67 9.59l.71-.71L12 10.5l1.62-1.62.71.71-1.83 1.82z\"><\/path>            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-box__content\"><p><strong data-rich-text-format-boundary=\"true\">What is sell call option: basics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How is selling calls like an insurance company?<\/p>\n<p>Insurance providers will guarantee a larger payout in return for recurring small monthly payments (premiums) should certain conditions be met.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the time, the insurance provider will simply collect premiums, month after month, year after year, and never pay money to the insurance holder. Occasionally, however, an event, like a car crash, will require the insurance company to make a payout.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-39.png\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.xo74y8syfa43\"><strong>What Happens When You Sell a Call?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What is selling a call option? Here\u2019s what happens when you sell a call\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You open an active contract with a buyer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This buyer immediately pays you a premium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The premium is the cost to the buyer of obtaining the call option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what happens next\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>If the underlying stock price fails to rise above the strike price, the option will expire worthless. That is, the call option seller keeps the premium, and the contract is no longer active.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The buyer may exercise the contract if the underlying stock price reaches the strike price. If they do, the call option buyer has the right to purchase shares of the underlying stock at the strike price. The option seller must fulfill this obligation by providing the buyer with the agreed-upon number of shares.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If the latter happens\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In some cases, the call options seller already owns the underlying stock. In this instance, the seller is selling a \u201c<strong>covered call<\/strong>.\u201d <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When the call seller doesn\u2019t hold the security, it\u2019s called a \u201c<strong>naked call<\/strong>.\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With a naked call, the seller, in theory, has to go out to the open market to buy the shares at whatever price they\u2019re currently trading. In practice, buyers and sellers are often settled monetarily based on the current market value of the shares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, the call option seller would immediately deliver the buyer the equivalent amount of selling the shares on the open market.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div id=\"callout-box-block_bd2c51b3a4e0dae3da37ae25ab1ebf9b\" class=\"callout-box info\">\n        <div class=\"callout-box__icon-wrapper\">\n            <svg focusable=\"false\" class=\"callout-box__icon info\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                <path d=\"M12 3c-.46 0-.93.04-1.4.14-2.76.53-4.96 2.76-5.48 5.52-.48 2.61.48 5.01 2.22 6.56.43.38.66.91.66 1.47V19c0 1.1.9 2 2 2h.28c.35.6.98 1 1.72 1s1.38-.4 1.72-1H14c1.1 0 2-.9 2-2v-2.31c0-.55.22-1.09.64-1.46C18.09 13.95 19 12.08 19 10c0-3.87-3.13-7-7-7zm2 16h-4v-1h4v1zm0-2h-4v-1h4v1zm-1.5-5.59V14h-1v-2.59L9.67 9.59l.71-.71L12 10.5l1.62-1.62.71.71-1.83 1.82z\"><\/path>            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-box__content\"><p><strong data-rich-text-format-boundary=\"true\">What is sell call option: basics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Naked calls have an unlimited potential for loss. If the option is exercised, the call seller must purchase the shares in the open market, no matter how high the price might be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.c7u34id6eo54\"><strong>How to Profit from Selling Calls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling a call option nets the seller a premium. Often, the option will expire worthless, and the option seller pays out nothing while still earning the income from the premium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even when the option is exercised, the seller can still earn a net profit on the trade if the value of the exercised option settlement is <strong>less <\/strong>than the premium paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many traders focus on selling call options as a matter of strategy. When markets are flat or falling, this strategy can prove especially lucrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.whw70nh7o10y\"><strong>Example of Selling a Call<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you believe the price of Apple\u2019s (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/stocks\/us\/nasdaq\/aapl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASDAQ: AAPL<\/a>) stock will remain flat or potentially fall over the coming two months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, you decide you can earn some additional income (premiums) through selling call options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You choose to sell one call option contract on Apple shares with the following details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Number of call option contracts: 1 (represents 100 underlying shares of Apple)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Premium: $3 per share<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Total premium received for one contract: $300 ($3 x 100 shares) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Current Apple share price: $165<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strike price for option contract: $175<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expiration: 60 days from now<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SCENARIO #1: Apple stays relatively flat, never reaching the strike price. The call option <\/strong><strong>expires worthless after<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;60 days.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Now imagine 60 days have passed, and the call option expires worthless. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In this case, the call option holder (buyer) is out of their original $300. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You (the call option seller) pocket the original $300.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Therefore you profited $300, your max gain.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SCENARIO #2: Apple is trading at $185 per share 40 days into the option contract.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Imagine the price of Apple has risen to $185, and the option holder (buyer) exercises the option. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now, you owe the option buyer 100 shares of Apple at $175 per share. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you don\u2019t already own the shares, you\u2019d have to buy them in the open market for $185, losing $10 on each of the 100 shares or $1,000. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After it\u2019s all said and done, you received a $300 premium and paid $1,000 as part of your obligation. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Therefore you lost $700.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.97l1ogz5pgxo\"><strong>Pros and Cons of Selling Call Options<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"mtr-table mtr-thead-th\"><thead><tr><th data-mtr-content=\"Pros\" class=\"mtr-th-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Pros<\/div><\/th><th data-mtr-content=\"Cons\" class=\"mtr-th-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Cons<\/div><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td data-mtr-content=\"Pros\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Source of added income<\/div><\/td><td data-mtr-content=\"Cons\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Profit is limited to the premium amount<\/div><\/td><\/tr><tr><td data-mtr-content=\"Pros\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Premium is guaranteed, regardless if the option is exercised<\/div><\/td><td data-mtr-content=\"Cons\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Loss potential is unlimited (unless you\u2019re selling covered calls)<\/div><\/td><\/tr><tr><td data-mtr-content=\"Pros\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\">Selling OTM calls leads to a high win rate<\/div><\/td><td data-mtr-content=\"Cons\" class=\"mtr-td-tag\"><div class=\"mtr-cell-content\"><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.buy9e9word2k\"><strong>Where Can You Start Selling Calls?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/etoro-sign-up?subaffiliateid=blog-sell-call-option\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-40.png\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Without a doubt, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/etoro-sign-up?subaffiliateid=blog-sell-call-option\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eToro<\/a>&nbsp;is our preferred platform for selling call options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The platform only requires a minimum balance of $50 USD for UK and US users and charges no commissions on option contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, eToro provides access to their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/etoro-copytrader?subaffiliateid=blog-sell-call-option\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CopyTrader<\/a>&nbsp;feature, allowing one to follow and mirror the trades of experienced trades. This makes eToro great for beginners and advanced traders alike.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div id=\"callout-box-block_734d59aa8368db5c8d658b3e992bab43\" class=\"callout-box info\">\n        <div class=\"callout-box__icon-wrapper\">\n            <svg focusable=\"false\" class=\"callout-box__icon info\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                <path d=\"M12 3c-.46 0-.93.04-1.4.14-2.76.53-4.96 2.76-5.48 5.52-.48 2.61.48 5.01 2.22 6.56.43.38.66.91.66 1.47V19c0 1.1.9 2 2 2h.28c.35.6.98 1 1.72 1s1.38-.4 1.72-1H14c1.1 0 2-.9 2-2v-2.31c0-.55.22-1.09.64-1.46C18.09 13.95 19 12.08 19 10c0-3.87-3.13-7-7-7zm2 16h-4v-1h4v1zm0-2h-4v-1h4v1zm-1.5-5.59V14h-1v-2.59L9.67 9.59l.71-.71L12 10.5l1.62-1.62.71.71-1.83 1.82z\"><\/path>            <\/svg>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"callout-box__content\"><p>eToro is one of many platforms to choose from. We\u2019ve compared all the best option trading platforms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/best-options-trading-platforms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-code-snippets-content\"><div class=\"disclaimer\">\r\nYour capital is at risk. Other fees apply. For more information, visit www.etoro.com\/trading\/fees.\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-code-snippets-content\"><div class=\"disclaimer\">\r\n\t<p>eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/go\/etoro-sign-up?subaffiliateid=blog-sell-call-option\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Check out eToro<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h.qb15l3580o02\"><strong>Final Word: What is Selling a Call Option?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling call options has the potential to provide investors with a lucrative and recurring additional source of income. It\u2019s the primary strategy for many options traders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But while selling call options can be profitable, it can also be risky. The potential for loss is limitless when selling naked calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of jumping in without a plan, take the time to get educated on how selling call options works and start with strategies like covered calls to limit risk and cap potential losses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-faq-schema-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>FAQs:<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-faq-schema-items\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>What is sell call option example?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Selling a call option involves selling the right but not the obligation to purchase assets should specific criteria be met. For example, you could sell a call option giving the buyer the right to purchase shares of Apple if the share price crosses a threshold (\u201cstrike price\u201d) before the contract expires.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>When should you sell a call option?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In many instances, a call seller is counting on the fact that buyers are making far out-of-the-money bets. The likelihood of these far out-of-the-money options being exercised may be extremely low, thereby delivering frequent profits to the seller. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>What is the risk of selling a call option?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>One of the biggest risks of selling a call option is the unlimited potential for loss when you don\u2019t own shares of the underlying stock (a \u201cnaked call\u201d). This is because if the option is exercised, you must purchase the underlying shares, regardless of how high the price has risen.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>How do you make money selling call options?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>You make money selling call options by receiving premiums (income). Each option contract will have a premium amount, say $5. That means selling one option contract would net you $500 ($5 x 100 shares).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>What does selling a call mean?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sell call option refers to selling another trader the right but not the obligation to purchase shares of an underlying stock at an agreed-upon price should specific criteria be met. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trying to make sense of selling a call in options trading? Your fevered \u201cwhat is sell call option\u201d Googling can now come to an end. Here\u2019s what it means\u2026 Selling a call simply refers to selling the right, but not the obligation, to purchase shares of an underlying stock at a set price by a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":9255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WallStreetZen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-39.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jesse Oberoi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wallstreet_zen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wallstreet_zen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jesse Oberoi\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"Jesse Oberoi\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d19c7c2df045acbbef5c934a2e6982bb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"What is a Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1541,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Options\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Blog\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"What is a Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"WallStreetZen\",\n\t            \"description\": \"\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": \"required name=search_term_string\"\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"WallStreetZen\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/main-logo.svg\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/main-logo.svg\",\n\t                \"width\": 220,\n\t                \"height\": 27,\n\t                \"caption\": \"WallStreetZen\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"sameAs\": [\n\t                \"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCMddKmLQYkPPmY5q6qckrMg\",\n\t                \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wallstreet_zen\"\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d19c7c2df045acbbef5c934a2e6982bb\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Jesse Oberoi\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cropped-jesse-96x96.jpeg\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cropped-jesse-96x96.jpeg\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Jesse Oberoi\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"description\": \"Jesse has worked in the finance industry for over 15 years, including a tenure as a trader and product manager responsible for a flagship suite of multi-billion-dollar funds. Jesse has held the CFA charter since 2017.\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/author\/jesseoberoi\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?","description":"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?","og_description":"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/","og_site_name":"WallStreetZen","article_published_time":"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Untitled-39.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jesse Oberoi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@wallstreet_zen","twitter_site":"@wallstreet_zen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jesse Oberoi"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/"},"author":{"name":"Jesse Oberoi","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d19c7c2df045acbbef5c934a2e6982bb"},"headline":"What is a Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?","datePublished":"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/"},"wordCount":1541,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Options"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/","name":"What is Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-04-20T14:01:29+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-15T15:32:30+00:00","description":"Wondering what a sell call option is and how it works in the context of investing? This article covers the basics of sell call options, including how they are used to generate income and manage risk.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/what-is-sell-call-option\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is a Sell Call Option? Meaning, How To, and What Happens When Selling Calls?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/","name":"WallStreetZen","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"WallStreetZen","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/main-logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/main-logo.svg","width":220,"height":27,"caption":"WallStreetZen"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCMddKmLQYkPPmY5q6qckrMg","https:\/\/twitter.com\/wallstreet_zen"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d19c7c2df045acbbef5c934a2e6982bb","name":"Jesse Oberoi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cropped-jesse-96x96.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/cropped-jesse-96x96.jpeg","caption":"Jesse Oberoi"},"description":"Jesse has worked in the finance industry for over 15 years, including a tenure as a trader and product manager responsible for a flagship suite of multi-billion-dollar funds. Jesse has held the CFA charter since 2017.","url":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/author\/jesseoberoi\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9257"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28381,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9257\/revisions\/28381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallstreetzen.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}