A give up is an order that, at the request of the customer, is credited to brokerage house that has not performed the execution service. In a much simpler sense, a give up is when the broker placing the order is not credited with the order, it is credited to another broker or brokerage firm. They’re “giving up” the transaction. The most common scenario when a give up will occur is when a client wants to place a trade and their normal broker cannot place the trade for whatever reason. Since the introduction of electronic and automated trading, the give up has become less and less popular, although it is still used in certain situations.