An FCA-authorised broker must keep your money separate from its own, cap retail leverage, give retail clients negative balance protection, close positions before your account runs dry, and give you access to the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS cover of up to £85,000 if it fails. Pepperstone, our top UK pick, applies all of these through Pepperstone Limited (FCA 684312); Capital.com does the same through Capital Com (UK) Limited (793714).
Short answer: FCA rules protect how your money is held and how you are treated; they do not protect you from trading losses.
Client money: held in segregated bank accounts under the FCA's client money rules (CASS) and kept away from the firm's creditors.
Compensation: the FSCS can pay up to £85,000 per person, per firm, if a failed firm cannot return your money.
Retail product rules: leverage caps from 30:1 to 5:1, negative balance protection, a 50% margin close-out and a ban on crypto derivatives.
Complaints: retail clients can take an unresolved complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service; professional clients may lose that right.
Pepperstone UK funds from £10, charges no deposit fees and returns withdrawals only to the source account in your name.
What happens step by step if a broker fails
First, an administrator takes over and identifies the client money pool, which was held in segregated accounts and does not belong to the firm. That pool is returned to clients in proportion to their balances, after the administrator's costs are deducted, which both Pepperstone and Capital.com state on their UK sites.
If the pool falls short, eligible clients can claim the gap from the FSCS, up to £85,000 per person per firm. Capital.com adds that if one of the banks holding client money failed instead, the loss would be shared among clients by proportion and could also be eligible for FSCS compensation.
Our top UK pick
Segregated client money at tier-one banks, FSCS cover, retail negative balance protection, 2FA and a London-based support team, all through FCA firm 684312.
65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.
Pepperstone, Capital.com and XS are our partners. We may earn a commission if you open an account through our links. That does not change the facts on this page.
Your questions, answered
Are client funds protected by FSCS at UK brokers?
Yes, at FCA-authorised firms, up to a limit. The FSCS can pay up to £85,000 per person, per firm, if a failed broker cannot return your money, and both Pepperstone and Capital.com state this cover on their UK sites. It does not cover trading losses, only money a failed firm cannot give back.
Which UK brokers have the best Trustpilot reviews?
We do not publish Trustpilot scores because they change daily and can be skewed by volume. A better use of reviews is to read the last few months of negative ones and look for repeated problems, especially slow withdrawals. Then compare that with what the broker publishes: withdrawal times, fees and its retail-loss figure.
Which UK brokers offer phone and live chat support?
Both picks offer phone, email, live chat and WhatsApp. Pepperstone's UK freephone is 0800 046 5473 (+44 800 046 5473 from abroad) and its support email support@pepperstone.com; Capital.com's UK number is +44 20 3097 8888. Capital.com's UK office is at 4 Orchard Place, London, and Pepperstone's at 27 Old Jewry, London.
Which UK brokers offer 24 hour customer service?
Capital.com offers human support 24/7. Pepperstone's support pages describe help 24 hours a day Monday to Friday and 18 hours a day at weekends, and its contact page lists 24/7 phone and email; for urgent issues with live trades it asks you to call or use live chat. Markets are closed at weekends, so weekday cover matters most.
Which brokers hold client money in segregated accounts?
Every FCA-authorised broker must, under the CASS rules. Pepperstone holds client funds separately from its own with tier-one banks and says it cannot use them for business activities or hedging. Capital.com spreads client money across several banks under trustee arrangements and reconciles balances daily. Capital.com notes one exception: professional clients who sign a title transfer agreement give up segregation.
Which broker has the easiest account opening process in the UK?
Pepperstone's application has four steps: register, answer an appropriateness questionnaire, verify your identity and fund. You can open a demo during the same sign-up. Capital.com's sign-up has three steps: create your account, make your first deposit and start when you are ready. The appropriateness questions are an FCA requirement, so expect them everywhere.
What happens to my money if a UK broker goes bust?
Your segregated client money is returned to you, less your share of the administrator's costs, and any eligible shortfall can be claimed from the FSCS up to £85,000. This is why it matters that your account is with the FCA-authorised UK company and not an offshore group entity.
Which UK brokers are best for traders switching from another broker?
Pepperstone accepts broker-to-broker transfers of funds from other trusted UK brokers, subject to approval: you send money to the bank details in your client area with your name and account as reference. If you use MetaTrader elsewhere, you can keep it, since Pepperstone offers MT4 and MT5. Close or move your positions first, because a fund transfer moves cash, not open trades.
Which UK broker gives the fastest withdrawals?
Pepperstone's fastest routes are card, Apple Pay and Google Pay withdrawals, processed same day to one working day. Bank transfers take same day to three working days on its table, and longer if your bank is slow. Capital.com does not publish a single withdrawal time on the UK pages we checked, but charges no withdrawal fee.
How long do withdrawals take at UK CFD brokers?
Processing time and arrival time are different things. Pepperstone says its processing time is how long it needs to release funds from client accounts; after that your bank can add up to 15 days in rare cases. Weekend and bank holiday requests start on the next working day. Use the same card or account you deposited from to avoid delays.
Which brokers offer instant deposits in the UK?
Pepperstone deposits by Apple Pay, Google Pay and Visa or Mastercard debit and credit cards arrive immediately, with a £10 minimum and no fee. Domestic bank transfers can take up to two business days and international ones up to seven. Capital.com charges no deposit fee on any method.
What is the minimum deposit to open a UK trading account?
At Pepperstone it is £10 by card or wallet; at Capital.com it is 20 GBP, EUR or USD. A minimum deposit is not a recommended starting balance: with 30:1 leverage on major FX, a £10 balance supports only the smallest trades. Decide your size from your risk per trade, not the minimum.
How long does it take to open a trading account in the UK?
The application itself usually takes minutes; Pepperstone describes it as 'apply in minutes'. Verification time depends on whether the automatic identity check passes or you need to upload documents, and neither broker publishes a guaranteed approval time. Have your identity documents to hand before you start, so an upload request does not stall the application.
Which brokers offer swap free accounts in the UK?
Neither of our picks lists a swap-free account on its UK site: Pepperstone's three UK accounts all charge overnight funding, and it says it does not offer swap-free demo accounts. The nearest alternative is Capital.com's unleveraged 1X account, which carries no overnight funding on most markets, though it is not marketed as Islamic. Pepperstone's forward contracts also avoid daily swaps, with the cost in the spread.
Which UK brokers offer professional client accounts?
Pepperstone (Pepperstone Pro) and Capital.com both do, for clients who pass the FCA's tests. Pro status raises leverage, for example up to 1:500 on forex and gold at Pepperstone, and adds rebates, but removes negative balance protection, the 50% close-out rule and some FCA communication standards. Capital.com warns that professional clients may not be able to use the Financial Ombudsman Service.
What are the eligibility requirements for a professional trading account in the UK?
You must meet at least two of three tests: an average of ten significant-sized trades per quarter in the relevant market over the last year; a financial instrument portfolio, including cash, above €500,000; and at least a year working in the financial sector in a role needing knowledge of leveraged products. Pepperstone counts cash, shares, bonds, ISAs, SIPPs and trading accounts in the portfolio, but not property or company pensions.
Which UK brokers accept debit card and bank transfer deposits?
Pepperstone accepts Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and domestic or international bank transfers; the bank account must be in your name, and it does not accept third-party or business-account payments into an individual account. Capital.com lists fee-free deposits through several payment providers. Joint accounts are accepted at Pepperstone if you are one of the holders.
Which UK brokers charge withdrawal fees?
Pepperstone charges no withdrawal fee except £15 for a bank wire to an international account, which is deducted from your balance. Capital.com charges no withdrawal fee, with a 20 GBP minimum withdrawal unless you withdraw the full balance. Your own bank or card provider may still charge.
Which UK brokers offer corporate trading accounts?
Neither Pepperstone nor Capital.com publishes a corporate account page on its UK site, so ask their support teams directly about company accounts. Pepperstone does say it will not accept funds from a business account into an individual trading account. Ask in writing whether FSCS and Ombudsman access would apply to a company account before you open one.
Which UK brokers publish execution quality statistics?
Pepperstone publishes a fill rate (99.32% for 1 January to 31 March 2026) and an execution speed from 50 milliseconds on its UK site. Capital.com publishes an internal execution time of 0.082 seconds for August 2025, and CMC Markets a platform uptime of 99.98% for the year to March 2026. These are self-reported; ask for slippage statistics if you trade size.
Which brokers give active traders a dedicated account manager?
At both picks a dedicated relationship manager comes with professional status, not with a retail account. Pepperstone Pro adds faster response times, margin relief on hedged positions and event invitations; Capital.com Pro adds a relationship manager for account and platform support. Retail clients at both get the standard support desk.
Published 2026-10-21. Informational only, not investment advice. CFDs are leveraged products and most retail accounts lose money.
Our top UK pick
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