Is Pepperstone regulated?
Yes, Pepperstone holds 8 regulatory licences in our records, with 4 of its 8 licence records read first-hand on the regulators' own registers (last read 2026-09-09). That includes tier-1 oversight from FCA and ASIC. Regulation is entity-specific: your protections depend on which Pepperstone legal entity onboards you, not on the brand.
Last updated September 2026·Licence statuses reflect our most recent read of each register; regulators update registers daily — verify current terms with the broker before you deposit.·How we score
Every licence, with what we found on the register
We mark a licence verified only after reading it on the regulator's own register or in a regulator-authored publication. Everything else stays visibly open.
| Legal entity | Regulator | Licence | Our check | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone Limited | FCA United Kingdom · Tier 1 | 684312 | Verified on register checked 2026-09-09 | Source |
| Pepperstone EU Limited | CySEC Cyprus · Tier 2 | 388/20 | Verified on register checked 2026-06-19 | Source |
| Pepperstone Group Limited | ASIC Australia · Tier 1 | 414530 | Pending — verify checked 2026-06-19 | No public register |
| Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Limited | DFSA Dubai (DIFC) · Tier 2 | F004356 | Verified on register checked 2026-06-19 | Source |
| Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited | CMA Kenya · Tier 2 | 128 | Verified on register checked 2026-07-01 | Source |
| Pepperstone GmbH | BaFin Germany · Tier 2 | 151148 | Pending — verify checked 2026-07-01 | Source |
| Pepperstone Markets Limited | SCB United Arab Emirates · Tier 2 | Pending — verify checked 2026-07-01 | Source | |
| Pepperstone Financial Services LLC | CMA (UAE) United Arab Emirates · Tier 2 | Pending — verify checked 2026-07-01 | No public register |
Notes from our checks
- FCA 684312: Read first-hand on the FCA Financial Services Register: 'Pepperstone Limited', Reference number 684312 — 'This firm is authorised for specific activities and product types.' Re-read 2026-09-09 direct from the FCA Register API (Firm/684312): 'Pepperstone Limited', status 'Authorised'.
- CySEC 388/20: Read on official CySEC register.
- ASIC 414530: AFSL via ASIC data mirror + official submissions. ASIC's own Report 828 (published 20 Jan 2026) lists this entity in its Appendix 1 of active retail CFD issuers — regulator-authored confirmation that the entity is currently operating, though the report prints no licence numbers.
- DFSA F004356: Read on DFSA public register.
- CMA 128: Read on the CMA Kenya licensees register (Licence No. 128); matches Pepperstone's own regulatory disclosure.
- BaFin 151148: Direct BaFin Wertpapierinstitut authorisation per Pepperstone's German impressum (Reg-Nr 151148); live BaFin register entry not first-hand read.
- SCB : Entity confirmed as an active licensee on the SCB (Bahamas) SIA firms list; SIA registration number not published on the readable list — number pending, not invented.
- CMA (UAE) : UAE SCA (renamed Capital Market Authority) Category-5 arrangement/advice licence per Pepperstone press release (Dec 2025); marketing/advisory only, not client dealing; licence number not published — pending.
Which Pepperstone entity would onboard you?
The brand is not the counterparty. The legal entity on your client agreement sets your regulator, compensation cover, leverage cap and terms.
| Legal entity | Regulator | Typically onboards | Compensation | Leverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone Limited United Kingdom | FCA (Tier 1) | GB | FSCS — up to £85,000 if the firm fails (not for trading losses) | Retail CFD leverage capped at 30:1 (FCA/ESMA rules). |
| Pepperstone EU Limited Cyprus (EU/EEA) | CySEC (Tier 2) | IE, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, BE, AT, PT, PL, SE, DK, FI, GR, CZ, HU, RO, BG, HR, SK, SI, EE, LV, LT, LU, MT, CY, IS, LI, NO | ICF — up to €20,000 if the firm fails (not for trading losses) | Retail CFD leverage capped at 30:1 (ESMA rules). |
| Pepperstone Group Limited Australia | ASIC (Tier 1) | AU | No retail investor compensation scheme in Australia. | Retail CFD leverage capped at 30:1 (ASIC rules). |
| Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Limited United Arab Emirates (DIFC) | DFSA (Tier 2) | AE | None identified | See terms |
| Pepperstone GmbH Germany (EU/EEA) | BaFin (Tier 2) | DE | German statutory investor compensation (EdW) up to €20,000 if the firm fails (not for trading losses) | Retail CFD leverage capped at 30:1 (ESMA rules). |
| Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited Kenya | CMA (Tier 2) | KE | No statutory retail investor compensation scheme in Kenya. | See terms |
| Pepperstone Markets Limited The Bahamas (offshore) | SCB (Offshore) | Most other countries (rest-of-world default) | No investor compensation scheme (offshore). | See terms |
| Pepperstone Financial Services LLC United Arab Emirates (SCA / Capital Market Authority) | CMA (UAE) (Tier 2) | Verify at signup | None identified | See terms |
Resolve the likely entity for your country with the entity checker, then confirm the entity named on your client agreement before you deposit.
What the licences actually give you
Three protections worth checking by name. Any of them can be missing even when a broker is licensed somewhere.
| Compensation scheme | FSCS up to £85,000 (UK clients/entity only) |
| Segregated client fundsSegregated fundsClient money held in bank accounts kept separate from the broker's own funds, so it isn't used to run the business and is easier to return if the firm fails. | Yes, per the broker's disclosures |
| Negative-balance protectionNegative-balance protectionA safeguard that stops your account going below zero, so you can't end up owing the broker more than you deposited. Mandatory for retail clients in some regions. | Yes, for retail clients where the regulator requires it |
| UK entity (retail) | 30:1 |
| EU entity (retail) | 30:1 |
| Australian entity (retail) | 30:1 |
| South African entity | 1000:1 |
| International / offshore entity | 1000:1 |
FCA warnings naming Pepperstone
Read weekly from the FCA's own pages. A clone warning names the genuine firm being impersonated and protects it; an unauthorised-firm warning says the brand is not authorised for UK business.
- 2016-07-13·Clone of the genuine firm
Melisfx/FXSM Group (clones of FCA authorised firm) (clone of FCA authorised firm)
Fraudsters are using the details of an FCA-authorised firm (Pepperstone Limited) to target people in the UK. Matched on the genuine firm's FRN 684312.
FCA page - 2016-07-13·Clone of the genuine firm
Pepper/Pepperforeign.com (clone of FCA authorised firm)
Fraudsters are using the details of an FCA-authorised firm (Pepperstone Limited) to target people in the UK. Matched on the genuine firm's FRN 684312.
FCA page
Verify these licences in five minutes
Never take a licence claim from a broker page, or from us, without reading the register.
- 1. Note the exact legal entity and licence number from the table above, or from the client agreement you would sign.
- 2.Open the regulator's own register from the links below, never from a link the broker hands you, and search that number.
- 3. Match the entity name and number exactly, check the status is active or authorised, and look for a clone-firm warning naming the brand.
Pepperstone regulation: common questions
Is Pepperstone regulated?
Yes, Pepperstone holds 8 regulatory licences in our records, with 4 of its 8 licence records read first-hand on the regulators' own registers (last read 2026-09-09). That includes tier-1 oversight from FCA and ASIC. Regulation is entity-specific: your protections depend on which Pepperstone legal entity onboards you, not on the brand.
Is Pepperstone regulated by the FCA?
Yes. Pepperstone Limited holds FCA reference 684312. Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-09-09. Only clients onboarded by that UK entity get FCA protections such as FSCS cover; other Pepperstone entities do not carry them.
Is Pepperstone regulated by ASIC?
Yes. Pepperstone Group Limited holds ASIC licence 414530 (Australia, tier-1). Our check: pending a register read, last read 2026-06-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by CySEC?
Yes. Pepperstone EU Limited holds CySEC licence 388/20 (Cyprus, tier-2). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-06-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by BaFin?
Yes. Pepperstone GmbH holds BaFin licence 151148 (Germany, tier-2). Our check: pending a register read, last read 2026-07-01.
Is Pepperstone regulated by DFSA?
Yes. Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Limited holds DFSA licence F004356 (Dubai (DIFC), tier-2). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-06-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by CMA?
Yes. Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited holds CMA licence 128 (Kenya, tier-2). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-07-01.
Is Pepperstone regulated by CMA (UAE)?
Yes. Pepperstone Financial Services LLC holds CMA (UAE) licence (United Arab Emirates, tier-2). Our check: pending a register read, last read 2026-07-01.
Is Pepperstone regulated by SCB?
Yes. Pepperstone Markets Limited holds SCB licence (Bahamas, offshore). Our check: pending a register read, last read 2026-07-01.
Which Pepperstone entity would I be onboarded by?
Pepperstone onboards clients through 8 legal entities in our map (United Kingdom, Cyprus (EU/EEA), Australia, United Arab Emirates (DIFC), Germany (EU/EEA), Kenya, The Bahamas (offshore) and United Arab Emirates (SCA / Capital Market Authority)). Which one applies depends on your country of residence and is named on your client agreement at signup. Use the entity checker to see the likely match for your country, then confirm it on the agreement before depositing.
Does Pepperstone have investor compensation?
FSCS up to £85,000 (UK clients/entity only). Compensation schemes pay out only if the firm itself fails and cannot return client money; they never cover trading losses, and they apply only to clients of the specific licensed entity, not to every Pepperstone client worldwide.
Has the FCA published a warning naming Pepperstone?
Yes. 2 FCA clone-firm warnings name Pepperstone's genuine authorised entity as the firm being impersonated, most recently on 2016-07-13 — a warning about fraudsters, not about Pepperstone. Each warning is listed on this page with a link to the FCA's own text.
Has Pepperstone been fined or warned by a regulator?
We hold no sourced regulator action for Pepperstone as of 2026-09-09. Absence from our log is not a clean bill: check the enforcement and warning pages of each regulator named above before depositing.
Next step
The full research file on Pepperstone covers real costs and withdrawal friction alongside this regulation evidence, or compare it with alternatives available in your country.
Related
Informational research only, not financial advice. Regulatory status changes; verify directly on the official registers before depositing. Being licensed is not the same as being suitable for you, and no licence protects against trading losses.