Pepperstone Review
1. Review Summary
Pepperstone is considered one of the fastest-growing forex brokers in the world. It does not have any CFD funding fees, commissions are set at $3.5, and the EUR/USD spread starts at 0.0. The FCA and ASIC regulate Pepperstone; both of them are considered tier 1 regulators. The plbror]atform offers all the major trading platforms, which are MT5, MT4, and cTrader. Customer support is quite reliable, and online reviews of this platform are overwhelmingly positive. The platform was established in 2010 in Australia. In 2015, it opened offices in London to serve its European clients better. It is considered a safe and reliable trading platform.
2. Fees
There are various pricing plans offered by Pepperstone, depending on the account type. In the standard account, the commissions are incorporated into the prevailing spreads. If you opt for the Razor Account, there is a commission charged on the trades.
When using the Razor account, you pay a commission and the prevailing spreads. The average spreads are 0.16 for the EUR/USD currency pair. There is also a commission charged of 0.753 pips, which brings the all-in costs to 0.91 pips on MT4 and 0.86 when using the cTrader platform. While the standard account has no commission, the spreads are higher, which makes it a less lucrative option compared to the Razor Account. With a standard account, the average spreads are 1.16.
The platform also runs an active trader program where discounts are offered. The discount is based on the amount that you deposit plus the expected trading volumes. The higher you rank in the active trader category, the bigger the discount you will get. To get into the program, the platform requires a minimum of 200 lots. The rebate is set at $1 per slot, and it is only applicable to Razor Account traders.
3. Regulation and Fund security
Pepperstone has its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, with offices in Bangkok, London, and Dallas. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority regulate the platform. In the UK, the company is registered under registration number 08965105, and the FCA regulates it under licensed number FRN 684312. Clients in the UK and EEA are protected under the FSCS, which offers a cover of up to £50,000 in case the firm goes into default or insolvency.
In Australia, the company operates under Pepperstone Group Limited, which has been given registration number CAN 147 055 703. It is a holder of the Australian Finance Services License number AFSL 414530, which is issued by ASIC. To protect user funds, the platform has taken up professional indemnity insurance with Lloyds Bank, London. It is independently audited to ensure that its operations are sound.
4. Account Types
There are five account types offered by Pepperstone. There are:
Pepperstone Razor Account
The Razor Account is the most famous account on this platform. A modest commission of AUD 3.5 per volume of 100,000 traded is added, in addition to the spread. This is an excellent account for large volume traders since it keeps the spread cost low. The account also comes with hedging and scalping features. To open this account, you need to make a minimum deposit of AUD 200.
Pepperstone Standard Account
The Standard Account is the primary account offered on this platform. It gives you access to all the essential functions you need to trade on Pepperstone. It is built on the MT4 platform, and if you do not need advanced features, this is a great account. The account comes with built-in spreads that start at 1.0. However, this account does not charge a commission.
Pepperstone Active Trader Account
This is the top-tier account offered on this platform. It is designed to enhance the features provided in the Razor Account by offering traders dedicated services. Users enjoy benefits such as:
A personal account manager
Enhanced reporting and analytics
Third-party platform access
Hosting for automated trading
Dedicated funds account
These features are great for full-time professional traders.
Pepperstone Swap Free Account
This account is also known as an Islamic account. The account operates per the Islamic faith. It is quite similar to a Razor account, but the spreads are much higher, and there is no commission charged. Additionally, there is an admin charge for some trades.
Pepperstone Demo Account
The demo account allows newbies to make mock trades using real-time market data. It will enable traders to test their trading strategies before they dive in with real funds. It is also a great account for those coming in from other brokerages, and they want to get a feel of the platform before they start trading.
5. Investment Products/Trading instruments
Pepperstone supports 156 CFD, Forex, and Futures markets across more than 70 currency pairs, 62 shares, 7 futures, 14 indices, 6 commodities, and 5 cryptocurrencies. All the major forex pairs are supported on this platform, with spread starting at 0.0. The platform focuses on high-speed execution, reliable trading structure, low latency, and high leverage of up to 500:1. If you are looking to diversify your portfolio, Pepperstone is a great platform. It comes will all the major stock indices, which allows you to buy or short sell without incurring a commission.
Precious metals are listed with no commission and have flexible leverage options and fast execution. This platform supports the top six precious metals include palladium, gold, and silver, against the EUR or USD. If you are into Energy trading, you will enjoy zero commission trading on this platform. Both the West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil and Brent Crude Oil markets are listed on Pepperstone. Other energy markets, such as natural gas, are listed too. The minimum trading price for energy is set at 10c per pip and you have access to leverage of up to 500:1.
Pepperstone also offers soft commodities for those looking for even more diversity in their portfolio. The soft commodities listed on this platform are sugar, coffee, cotton, cocoa, and orange juice. Each of them features a 2 percent used margin per lot. If you are interested in cryptocurrencies, Pepperstone offers BTC, ETH, BCH, Dash, and LTC, against the USD.
6. Trading Platforms
On Pepperstone, you can use any of the cTrader and MetaTrader platforms. You will be able to access MT4 (web/desktop), MT4 Multi-terminal, MT5, cTRader (web/desktop), and cAlgo. All of these platforms can be accessed using any account type.
7. Customer Support
Customer support on this platform is offered 24 hours a day five days a week. They have a toll-free number for Australians and an international number for their international clients. There is also an email address provided on the contact page. If you need more immediate support, you can use the live chat feature on the bottom right corner of any page of the site.
8. Webinar, seminars, educational material
The educational section of Pepperstone is quite comprehensive. It includes a glossary section, FAQ section, and much more. For instance, you will find trading guides on various topics, webinars, for traders of all skill levels and a section for newbies who want to know how to trade forex.
9. Active Bonus and Promotions
Pepperstone has an active rebate program for high-volume traders but there are no other promotions. The rebates to forex traders are paid daily and the number of standard lots a trader trades each month determines the amount. This rebate scheme is only available to those using Razor accounts.
10. How to open an account
Here are the steps to opening a Pepperstone account:
Step 1 – Provide Personal Information
After you visit the Pepperstone website, click on the red button labeled “Start Trading Now.”
You will be sent to a new screen where you will be prompted to fill in your details. These are details such as your name, phone number, and email address. Ensure that you provide accurate information since you will need to verify the information later.
During the process, there is a status bar at the top, which shows you how much you have progressed.
Step 2 – Complete your Profile
Here, you will need to complete your live account profile.
To do this, you only need to fulfill a few tasks. This includes picking your trading preferences, the platform you prefer, and other things. It is at this stage that you will also set the password for your profile.
You will also be asked about your current employment as well as the level of income. This information will only be used to serve you better.
Finally, you will be asked some questions regarding your trading habits.
Step 3 – Upload Your Documents
In this step, you have to provide identity documents. Ensure that you have the documents with you before you begin the signup process. If you have them on your computer, simply upload them to the platform.
Ensure that you include both sides of your ID.
Step 4 –Pending Verification
Your account is almost ready. The team at Pepperstone will verify the information and approve your account. You can add funds to your account but you can only withdraw funds once your account is verified.
11. Conclusion
Pepperstone is an excellent platform for those traders focused on forex trading and popular CFD markets. Considering its low minimum deposit limits and a slew of third-party platforms, this platform is great for traders of all experience levels.
