Merchant services
Forex and CFD merchant accounts for trading firms.
How forex, CFD and other trading firms take card deposits and return withdrawals to cards, and what banks and processors need to see first.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
How forex, CFD and other trading firms take card deposits and return withdrawals to cards, and what banks and processors need to see first.
Published online rates from the major processors serving UK businesses, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own sales.
The short answer
A forex merchant account lets a regulated forex, CFD or trading firm take card deposits from clients and return withdrawals to their cards. Processors will ask for your regulator's authorisation, such as the FCA's in the UK. Visa lets cardholders dispute trading deposits as misrepresentation when a firm refuses to let them withdraw available balances, so withdrawal handling is central to approval.
Published prices read on 27 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only or not published means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | Standard UK card rate | European and international cards | Monthly fee | Payouts | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe Source | 1.5% + 20p standard UK cards; 2.8% + 20p premium UK cards | 2.5% + 20p EEA; 3.15% + 20p international; +2% if converted | £0 | Standard free; instant 1% (min 40p); first payout 7 to 14 days | Pay as you go |
| Checkout.com Source | Quote only (interchange++) | Quote only | No setup or account fees | Not published | Not published |
| Trust Payments Source | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nuvei Source | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Rates are for online card payments taken by UK businesses, before VAT where the provider states it. Premium, business and non-UK cards usually cost more. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We know which banks and processors accept your sector, prepare the application so it is read properly, and come back with the terms you can actually get. You keep a named account manager after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Card deposits into trading accounts carry risks that ordinary retail does not. Clients who lose money may dispute their deposits with their bank. Stolen cards can be used to fund accounts. And unregulated or fraudulent trading schemes have made card schemes and banks wary of the whole sector.
Mainstream processors reflect this. Stripe's UK list, last updated 22 September 2026, prohibits funded prop trading and get-rich-quick investment schemes, and restricts investment and brokerage services. So most trading firms need an acquirer that has chosen to serve the sector and can assess a regulated firm properly.
Visa's rules also give cardholders a specific dispute right. Under its misrepresentation dispute condition, a cardholder can dispute payments for investment goods or services, such as binary options or foreign exchange trading, where the merchant refuses to let the cardholder withdraw available balances. A firm that pays withdrawals promptly removes that risk; one that delays them invites disputes.
Underwriters for trading firms want to see three things: that you are properly regulated, that you know your clients, and that clients can always withdraw their money. They usually ask for:
Most trading firms send withdrawals back to the card used to deposit, up to the amount deposited, then by bank transfer for any profit. Card payout services such as Visa Direct and Mastercard Send let you push money back to a card quickly. They are priced separately; Viva.com, for example, lists them at 0.40% per payment, with a 7p minimum and 44p maximum.
Visa's rules name merchant category code 6211 for security brokers and dealers and 6051 for firms dealing in foreign currency. The code your acquirer uses affects which issuers approve deposits, so it must match what you actually do.
Visa's Acquirer Monitoring Program counts fraud reports and disputes against settled online transactions. From 1 April 2026 a merchant in Visa's Europe region, which includes the UK, is Excessive at a 1.5% ratio with at least 1,500 reports a month. Mastercard flags 100 chargebacks and 1.5%, per J.P. Morgan Payments' published guide. On 8,000 deposits a month, 120 disputes would reach Mastercard's threshold.
Trading firms' card rates are quoted, not published. Expect a deposit rate, a payout fee for withdrawals to cards, chargeback fees, mandatory 3D Secure and often a rolling reserve. PayPal's UK user agreement explains reserves with the example of 10% of each day's takings held for 90 days. On £400,000 a month of deposits, that would build to about £120,000 held while volumes are steady.
We name only providers whose own sites describe a service for the sector. Trust Payments publishes a forex page offering an FX payment gateway and payment processing, with dedicated forex account managers. Its page is the only one among the processors we checked that addresses forex directly.
Approval depends on your authorisation, markets, controls and history, and is never guaranteed. A clean withdrawal record and low dispute rates are the strongest parts of any application.
We work with banks and processors that accept higher-risk sectors, and we know which of them take regulated forex, CFD and trading firms. We prepare your application so it answers the questions underwriters ask, present it to the providers most likely to say yes, and negotiate the rate, reserve, payout timing and any volume limits. No one can promise approval, and we never do.
Once you are live, you keep a named account manager who reviews your chargeback and refund levels with you each month, so problems are fixed before a processor adds a reserve or gives notice, and who takes it up with the provider if your terms change. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Yes, if it is properly authorised and finds an acquirer that serves trading firms. Processors will ask for your regulator's authorisation, such as the FCA's in the UK, your client checks and your withdrawal policy. Mainstream providers such as Stripe restrict investment and brokerage services.
Clients who lose money may dispute deposits, stolen cards can fund accounts, and Visa lets cardholders dispute trading payments as misrepresentation where a firm refuses withdrawals of available balances. These risks lead to closer checks, quoted rates and often reserves.
Stripe's UK list, last updated 22 September 2026, prohibits funded prop trading and get-rich-quick investment schemes and restricts investment and brokerage services. Trading firms usually need an acquirer that has chosen to serve the sector.
Usually back to the card used to deposit, up to the amount deposited, with any profit by bank transfer. Card payout services such as Visa Direct and Mastercard Send push money to cards quickly; Viva.com lists them at 0.40% per payment, 7p minimum, 44p maximum.
Rates are quoted, not published. Expect a deposit rate, a payout fee, chargeback fees and often a rolling reserve. On £400,000 a month, a 10% reserve held for 90 days would build to about £120,000 held while volumes are steady.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.