Traders who engage in scalping may either use a discretionary or systematic approach. Discretionary scalpers are traders who make rapid trading decisions based on the current market conditions. Traders are responsible for determining the terms and conditions of their own transactions (e.g., timing, profit targets).

Individuals who engage in systematic scalping tend to rely very little on their natural instincts. Instead, they use computer programs that automate scalping with artificial intelligence and use those systems to execute trades according to parameters they set. Whenever the trading software identifies a potential profit-making opportunity, it executes that opportunity without waiting for the trader to evaluate the position or transaction.

In the process of trading, bias might be introduced by discretionary scalping. A trader's emotions may cause them to make poor decisions or prevent them from acting at the right time, both of which can be costly. The removal of human influence from trading choices, which is achieved by systematic scalping, results in impartial transactions.