CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
TRADE NOW - Minimum Trade Deposit £100
Plus500 is a leading provider of CFDs and offers trading facilities on Forex, commodities, shares, ETFs, indices, and options using innovative trading technology.
The website is owned by a UK-based company called Plus500UK Ltd, which is a rapidly expanding CFD provider with a current portfolio of over two thousand instruments.
The company was founded in 2008, the same year that it launched its desktop-based trading platform. In 2010, it launched a web-based platform, and in 2013, it not only went public in the AIM section of the London Stock Exchange but also introduced the world’s first Bitcoin CFD.
As well as gaining access to its impressive portfolio of trading instruments, customers can also take advantage of several useful tools such as real-time email, SMS, and push notifications on price alerts, an economic calendar, and risk management tools.
The site supports thirty-two different languages and offers traders 24/7 customer support.
Regulations
Plus500UK Ltd is regulated and authorised by the FCA, FRN 509909. The company is registered in England and Wales (Company No 07024970).
Reliability
Plus500’s subsidiaries are authorised and regulated by ASiC, CySEC, FCA in the UK, Cyprus, and Australia.
The company has been operating for over ten years and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Traders are offered high levels of protection at all times. For example, all client funds are held in segregated client bank accounts to ensure maximum protection of their funds. Plus, it never uses client funds for hedging, only its own monies. Clients are also covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the event that the firm ceases trading or becomes insolvent.
Negative balance protection is built-in to the trading platform. Therefore, it is not possible to lose more than your account balance, and customers cannot be left in debt.
Trading Platforms
The site offers a bespoke trading platform that uses state-of-the-art technology to let you trade on a large variety of instruments. You can choose to use the web-based application (WebTrader, which is compatible with Windows, Max, Linux, Android, and more) or download the client application (Windows Trader) depending on your preference.
The software’s risk management tools include Close at Profit, Close at Loss, Guaranteed Stop, and Trailing Stop.
User Interface
The trading platform is particularly user-friendly, which makes it just as suitable for new traders as it is for experienced ones. The menu system is located on the left-hand side, and the top section of the screen is given over to the assets that are currently available for trading. The bottom half of the screen displays a trading chart which allows you to adjust the time frame, as well as add technical indicators as overlays.
Mobile Platform
There are apps for both iOS and Android devices, which let you buy and sell with just a few taps. Using your mobile device, you can explore thousands of CFD trading instruments, including Forex, stocks, and Bitcoin.
Account Types
You can choose between a Real Money and Demo Account. If you open a Demo Account, you will be able to upgrade to a Real Money account at a later date.
• Demo Accounts are 100% risk-free as you can’t lose real money. Instead, you’re given virtual funds to trade with. Once the balance of your demo account drops to £200 or less, the original balance will be reinstated by the system automatically.
• Real Money accounts require a minimum deposit of £100.
Cryptocurrencies Trading
You can trade cryptocurrency CFDs by speculating on their price movements, without having to own the cryptocurrencies. The cryptocurrencies that are offered are as follows:
• Bitcoin (BTCUSD)
• Ethereum/Bitcoin (ETHBTC)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCHUSD)
• Ethereum (ETHUSD)
• Litecoin (LTCUSD)
• NEO (NEOUSD)
• Ripple (XRPUSD)
• IOTA (IOTUSD)
• Monero (XMRUSD)
• EOS (EOSUSD)
Commissions and Spreads
Plus500 doesn’t charge dealing commissions, but inactivity, overnight funding, and guaranteed stop order fees may be applied.
Traders are charged tight spreads depending on the asset being traded. The minimum spreads vary from 0.01% to 0.29%.
Deposits and Withdrawals Options
Making deposits and withdrawals is easy, and you can choose from the following payment options:
• Visa
• MasterCard
• Bank Transfer
• Paypal
• Skrill
Withdrawal processing usually takes between one and three business days so that the necessary security checks can be carried out before payment is initiated.
TRADE NOW - Minimum Trade Deposit £100
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 80.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Customer Support
Customer support is offered around-the-clock, seven days a week via live chat and email.
Support Telephone: Live Chat
Support Email: Online Contact Form
Social Media Profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Google+
Q&A
• Is the site regulated?
Yes. Plus500UK Ltd is regulated and authorised by the FCA (FRN 509909). Other subsidiaries operate under the regulations of ASIC and CySEC.
• How does Plus500 make money?
The company is mainly compensated for its services through the bid/ask spread.
• How to deposit
You can deposit funds into your account using Visa, MasterCard, Bank Transfer, Paypal or Skrill.
• How to withdraw
The withdrawal methods are the same as the deposit methods. Withdrawal requests processing times are, on average, between one and three working days.
• How to open an account
To open an account, select the “Start Trading” option from the main menu or click the “try a free Demo Account” link on the homepage. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process.
• Is Plus500 reliable?
Yes. The company has been operating since 2008, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is also regulated in Australia, Cyprus, and the UK.
• Does Plus500 use MetaTrader?
No. A bespoke software platform allows you to perform trading, and it is available as a web-based platform as well as a mobile application.
• What is Plus500’s leverage?
ETFs (Trade Exchange-Traded-Funds) have the lowest leverage of the financial markets at up to 1:5. The maximum leverage available is 1:30.
Our Conclusion
The proprietary software used by the WebTrader, Windows Trader and mobile trading platforms offers users access to a vast range of instruments (N.B., over 2,000), multi-language support, 24/7 customer support, and the ability to trade the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies with leverage.