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Ways to trade

Trading accounts

Our three account types have been designed to help the active trader achieve more. Whatever your trading strategy or level of experience, you’ll find an account to align with your goals.

Switch to Pepperstone

Why trade with us?

Range of accounts

Swing trader, scalper, or something else? Choose an account to suit your priorities, backed by local support.

Tight spreads

Trade gold from just 0.05 points, and FX starting at 0.0 points on our Razor account.¹

Five elite platforms

Use our native Pepperstone platform and app, or connect to MT4, MT5, TradingView or cTrader.

Trusted globally

Join over 750,000 Pepperstone traders² around the world, processing a monthly trading volume of US$350bn.

What account types are available with Pepperstone?

We offer one spread betting account, and two CFD accounts – Standard and Razor. All of them can be accessed via our in-house platform and app, or via our seamless integrations with leading third-party technology.

While spread betting and CFDs are very similar, there are some key differences to understand.

Spread betting

This might be for you if you want:

✓

Tax-free profits

Spread betting is classed as gambling by UK and some other tax authorities, so profits are exempt from UK capital gains tax and stamp duty. This type of account can therefore be highly attractive for those who are seeking to maximise their returns without additional tax obligations.³

✓

No commission

Our spread betting fees are wrapped into a ‘spread’ around the underlying market price, ensuring full visibility and offering a cost-effective way to capitalise on market movements.

✓

To trade any market in GBP

To avoid currency risk and any charges associated with converting your trading currency to your base account currency, your stake is always in pounds per point.

CFDs

A CFD account might be for you if you want:

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A product that closely mimics traditional trading

Gain similar exposure to buying shares outright, while only having to put down a fraction of the full value of your position. This can amplify both your profits and your losses, so it’s important to manage your risk.

✓

To trade in the currency of the CFD

Capitalise on market movements between the currency of the trade and of your base account.

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The potential to offset losses against profits for tax purposes

This makes a CFD account particularly suitable for hedging an existing portfolio against adverse market moves.³

³In the UK, spread betting and CFD profits are exempt from capital gains tax. Please be aware that tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and tax law may be subject to change.

What’s the difference between a Standard and a Razor account?

If you’re a high-frequency FX trader or scalper, our Razor account could give you more control over trading costs.

Standard account

All fees – apart from any overnight funding – are included in the spread, and there is no commission to pay. This provides a straightforward fee structure for newer traders or those seeking an easy-to-manage account. Our competitive spreads and client-focused approach have made us the UK’s most favoured platform with our traders.⁴

Razor account

Offers identical trading conditions to our Standard account, but with commission-based pricing on forex. Clients can enjoy raw spreads from 0.0 points,¹ alongside fixed, transparent commissions from £2.25 per lot, per side. If you need help deciding whether a Razor account is right for you, get in touch with our support desk.

³In the UK, spread betting profits are exempt from capital gains tax. Please be aware that tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and tax law may be subject to change.

At a glance: Compare our account types

Account type	Spread betting	CFD trading (Standard)	CFD trading (Razor)
What is it?	Placing a monetary stake per point of movement in a financial market.	Trading the price difference between the opening and closing of a contract.	Trading the price difference between the opening and closing of a contract.
Is this account leveraged?	Yes, a spread betting account is leveraged.	Yes, a Standard CFD trading account is leveraged.	Yes, a Razor CFD trading account is leveraged.
Do I pay tax on any profit I make?	No, you won’t pay capital gains tax (CGT) or stamp duty.³	You won’t pay stamp duty, but you’ll need to pay capital gains tax (CGT). However, losses can be offset as a tax deduction for CGT.³	You won’t pay stamp duty, but you’ll need to pay capital gains tax (CGT). However, losses can be offset as a tax deduction for CGT.³
Which markets can I trade?	1350+ markets including shares, indices, forex, commodities and more.	1350+ markets including shares, indices, forex, commodities and more.	1350+ markets including shares, indices, forex, commodities and more.
Suitable for hedging?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Which platforms are available?	Pepperstone’s webtrader platform and mobile app, MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView.	Pepperstone’s webtrader platform and mobile app, MT4, MT5, and cTrader.	Pepperstone’s webtrader platform and mobile app, MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView.
What are the risks?	Spread betting is leveraged, so you put up a percentage of the deal size to open a position. Your profit or loss will be based on the full position size, so your profits or losses will be amplified. Managing your risk is key.	CFD trading is leveraged, so you put up a percentage of the trade size to open a position. Your profit or loss will be based on the full position size, so your profits or losses will be amplified. Managing your risk is key.	CFD trading is leveraged, so you put up a percentage of the trade size to open a position. Your profit or loss will be based on the full position size, so your profits or losses will be amplified. Managing your risk is key.
What is the minimum funding amount?	£10	£10	£10

³In the UK, spread betting profits are exempt from capital gains tax. Please be aware that tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and tax law may be subject to change.

What are the costs?

	Spread betting	CFD trading (Standard)	CFD trading (Razor)
Spreads and commission⁵	You’ll pay a spread on all markets, wrapped around the market price, along with overnight fees on spot trading (no overnight fees on forwards). There’s no commission to pay.	Variable spreads on FX, indices and commodities, starting from just 0.4 points on the US500. No commission except on shares, starting at just 0.1% per side on UK share CFDs.	FX commission is from £2.25 per standard lot, per side. Spreads are raw (from 0.0 points). All other markets are charged in the same way as a Standard account.
Overnight funding (swap rate)	Market rate (latest rates displayed on the platform)	Market rate (latest rates displayed on the platform)	Market rate (latest rates displayed on the platform)
Admin charges/market data fees/anything else	None	None	None

⁵ If you trade 0.01 lots on our Razor account, please note that commission will round up to £0.023 per 0.01 lot. MetaTrader 4 commission is calculated for both sides of the transaction upfront and then charged upon opening the trade.

You can find a full breakdown of our costs and charges here.

How many instruments can I trade on each account?

You can trade a wide range of instruments on any of our accounts:

	Spread betting	CFD (Standard)	CFD (Razor)
Total number of instruments	1432	1444	1444
Forex	91	93	93
Indices	26	26	26
Commodities	40	40	40
Shares	1162	1162	1162
ETFs	95	95	95

Number of markets can vary. Data was sourced on 12 March 2025

Protecting your trading capital

Markets move quickly, so it’s important that you can protect your capital from adverse market movements. All our accounts provide a number of risk-management tools to help you limit any potential losses.

Stop-losses

Before you open a position, you can determine where you’d like your position to be closed if the market moves against you. Specify by price or pips, and view your projected loss before you place the trade⁶

Trailing stops

These can follow positive market movements, at a set distance away from the current price. So,if the market moves in your favour and then reverses, you can lock in any gains.⁶

Take-profits

Choose where you’d like to close your position and realise any profit if the market moves in your favour. Protect against the risk of losing accrued gains, and free yourself from constantly monitoring the markets.⁶

Alerts

Looking out for specific price action? Set alerts on one or more conditions and receive notification in the platform the moment they are met. You can also opt to set an expiration, and add a description for each alert.

Support when you need it

Our friendly, local client support team is here to help you 24 hours a day on weekdays and 18 hours on weekends. They’re only an email, call, WhatsApp or Live Chat message away from assisting you on your trading journey. Got a question about opening an account, funding, withdrawals or more? Find all FAQs, along with our contact details, on our support page.

View support page

Ready to trade better?

Switch to Pepperstone now and join our global community of over 750,000 traders.⁴ Apply in minutes with our online application process. 

1 Register 

2 Answer

We’ll check our products are appropriate for you. 

3 Verify

Your safety is our top priority. 

4 Fund 

That’s it! You’re ready to trade. 

Apply now

Pepperstone trading account FAQs

Are there any hidden costs or additional charges?

Which platforms are available for each account type?

Which markets can I trade on each account?

What is an overnight funding charge (swap)?

¹ Other fees and charges may apply.

² Data for the Pepperstone Group, correct as at Feb 2025

³ In the UK, spread betting profits are exempt from capital gains tax. Please be aware that tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and tax law may be subject to change.

⁴ Voted ‘best CFD and Spread Betting provider for overall customer satisfaction’ at the Investment Trends 2024 UK Leverage Trading Report.
⁵If you trade 0.01 lots on our Razor account, please note that commission will round up to £0.023 per 0.01 lot. MetaTrader 4 commission is calculated for both sides of the transaction upfront and then charged upon opening the trade.
⁶If the market moves quickly or gaps, you may be stopped out at a worse level than the one you requested. This is known as slippage.