How is spread charged to us?

This might be a silly question but I thought I should double confirm.

If I buy EUR/USD at, say, 1.3554 and the current spread is listed at 3 pips, will my opening position be at rate of 1.3554 or 1.3551?

What I'm really trying to understand is that other than displaying the difference in Bid-Ask, is the spread ever really charged to us. If so, is it charged on both, open and closing the trade? or only when we're closing the trade?

When you buy, you buy at the ask price but when the trade is running and when you close, its at the bid, when you sell you sell it goes in at the bid price and closes at the ask. That is why as soon as you put a trade in you're straight away minus the spread.

it is a difference between bid and ask. it is charged once you open a position