Is Pepperstone regulated?
Our Pepperstone evidence log contains 8 regulatory records, with all 8 findings confirmed against regulator-authored sources (last read 2026-09-19). Records can include historical corrections and limited-scope authorisations; they are not a count of current trading licences. That includes tier-1 oversight from FCA, ASIC and BaFin. 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
Licence records and findings from the registers
Verified means we read the stated finding in a regulator-authored source. Where no number is published, only the entity is confirmed. Historical records do not establish current authorisation.
| 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 | Verified on register checked 2026-09-14 | Source |
| 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 1 | 151148 | Verified on register checked 2026-09-19 | Source |
| Pepperstone Markets Limited | SCB Bahamas · Offshore | no number published by this register | Entity verified checked 2026-09-14 | Source |
| Pepperstone Financial Services LLC | CMA (UAE) United Arab Emirates · Tier 2 | no number published by this register | Entity verified checked 2026-09-14 | Source |
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: Read first-hand 2026-09-14 on ASIC Professional Registers Search (search term 414530): 'PEPPERSTONE GROUP LIMITED', register 'Australian financial services licensees', status 'Current' (former name '* PEPPERSTONE FINANCIAL PTY LTD' also shown as Current). Earlier corroboration: ASIC Report 828 (20 Jan 2026) Appendix 1 lists the entity as an active retail CFD issuer.
- 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: Re-read 2026-09-19: same company, BAK 151148, BaFin-ID 10151148 and WpIG permissions; register data dated 17 Sep 2026. First read 2026-09-14 on BaFin's company database (data as of 13 Sep 2026): 'Pepperstone GmbH', Wertpapierinstitut (securities institution), Neubrückstraße 1, 40213 Düsseldorf; BaFin-ID 10151148, BAK-Nr. 151148 (the number we publish); WpIG permits — investment brokerage (§ 2 para. 2 no. 3), closing brokerage (§ 2 para. 2 no. 5), proprietary trading (§ 2 para. 2 no. 10) — in force since 26 June 2021 (earlier KWG permits from 4 Aug 2020 ended 25 June 2021 on entry into force of the WpIG).
- SCB : Entity read first-hand 2026-09-14 in SCB's 'Registrants as at 31 August 2026' list (Securities Industry Act, 2024): 'Pepperstone Markets Limited', Pineapple House, Old Fort Bay, Western Road, Nassau; categories 1. dealing in capital market instruments as agent or principal, 2. arranging deals, 3. managing capital market instruments and trading CFDs. The list prints no SIA-F registration number — entity verified, number stays broker-disclosed.
- CMA (UAE) : Entity read first-hand 2026-09-14 on the UAE Capital Market Authority (formerly SCA) 'Licensed Companies' register: 'PEPPERSTONE FINANCIAL SERVICES L.L.C', Status 'Active', Emaar Square Building 3, Dubai, establish date 06-Feb-2025. Category-5 arrangement/advice licence (introduction + financial consultations) per Pepperstone's Dec-2025 announcement — marketing/advisory only, not client dealing. The licence number (reported as 20200000358 by an AI read of the same register) sits in a section not yet screenshotted, so the number is not published until read first-hand.
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, 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 1) | 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.
Worked verification · Edited
Worked example: Pepperstone in Germany and the EEA
A German resident sees a CySEC licence on a Pepperstone comparison page. Is that the company they should check?
Start with the named company
Pepperstone’s German legal page names Pepperstone GmbH. Our country mapping selects that company for Germany; Ireland and the Netherlands map to Pepperstone EU Limited. Those mappings are a starting point, not proof of a particular customer’s contract.
Match the identifier on the correct register
BaFin’s entry names Pepperstone GmbH as a Wertpapierinstitut. It shows BAK number 151148 and the distinct BaFin-ID 10151148. Check the current permissions, including the WpIG entries, rather than treating the end dates of earlier KWG entries as the end of the firm’s authorisation.
Keep the Cyprus company separate
Pepperstone EU Limited’s CySEC identifier is 388/20 in our evidence log. A group licence does not transfer its terms or protections to a different company. Match the legal name in the agreement offered to you before applying any compensation or retail-loss figure.
What this establishes: For a German agreement naming Pepperstone GmbH, follow the BaFin evidence and that company’s terms. If a different company is named, resolve the difference before depositing.
We have not opened an account for this example. Country mappings cannot guarantee acceptance or replace the signed agreement. Licence status alone does not establish suitability or protect against trading losses.
Sources and check dates
- Pepperstone GmbH legal documents · Read
Broker disclosure identifying the German contracting company and its legal documents.
- BaFin: Pepperstone GmbH · Read
Company, BAK number, BaFin-ID and permissions; displayed register data dated 17 September 2026.
- CySEC: Pepperstone EU Limited · Read
Existing evidence-log read, licence 388/20. This example does not claim a new Cyprus register read.
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.
- 2023-04-21·Clone of the genuine firm
DIFC Investment (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
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.
- FCA — FCA Financial Services Register
- ASIC — ASIC Connect professional registers
- BaFin — BaFin company database
- CySEC — CySEC regulated entities
- DFSA — DFSA public register
- CMA — CMA Kenya licensees
- CMA (UAE) — UAE Capital Market Authority (formerly SCA) licensed companies
- SCB — Securities Commission of The Bahamas registrants
Pepperstone regulation: common questions
Is Pepperstone regulated?
Our Pepperstone evidence log contains 8 regulatory records, with all 8 findings confirmed against regulator-authored sources (last read 2026-09-19). Records can include historical corrections and limited-scope authorisations; they are not a count of current trading licences. That includes tier-1 oversight from FCA, ASIC and BaFin. 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?
Pepperstone Group Limited is recorded with ASIC licence 414530 (Australia, tier-1). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-09-14.
Is Pepperstone regulated by BaFin?
Pepperstone GmbH is recorded with BaFin licence 151148 (Germany, tier-1). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-09-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by CySEC?
Pepperstone EU Limited is recorded with CySEC licence 388/20 (Cyprus, tier-2). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-06-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by DFSA?
Pepperstone Financial Services (DIFC) Limited is recorded with DFSA licence F004356 (Dubai (DIFC), tier-2). Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-06-19.
Is Pepperstone regulated by CMA?
Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited is recorded with 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 is listed by the CMA (UAE) (United Arab Emirates, tier-2); no licence number was independently confirmed in this record, so the entity is what we verify. Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-09-14.
Is Pepperstone regulated by SCB?
Yes. Pepperstone Markets Limited is listed by the SCB (Bahamas, offshore); no licence number was independently confirmed in this record, so the entity is what we verify. Our check: verified on the register, last read 2026-09-14.
Which Pepperstone entity would I be onboarded by?
Our map lists 8 Pepperstone legal entities (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)). A listing does not establish retail account availability: consultation or introduction entities and institutional-only firms are not retail trading-account routes. Which company applies depends on your country and client agreement. Use the entity checker for the likely match, then confirm it 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. 3 FCA clone-firm warnings name Pepperstone's genuine authorised entity as the firm being impersonated, most recently on 2023-04-21 — 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 2026-09-19. 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.