Account Opening: FAQs
These are some of the questions we are often asked about how to open an account. If you can't find the answer to your question here, please call us on 0800 195 3100 and we will be pleased to help.
General
Do you offer credit?
Under some circumstances, yes. A Credit account is available to UK residents who are prepared to show us evidence of £5000 liquid funds, and whom we can classify as experienced investors.
If you want to apply for a Credit account, the quickest route is to apply online to submit your details and open a Standard account, and then contact us about upgrading your account. Alternatively please call us to discuss your personal situation and we will be happy to advise.
Can I apply from outside the UK?
Yes, we can accept applications from most countries except:
- United States, Turkey: not permitted for legal reasons
- Australia: we have operations licenced in Australia and cannot accept customers directly to the UK through this site. Please visit igindex.com.au for financial spread betting, or igmarkets.com.au for CFD and FX trading
- Netherlands: we cannot accept spread betting applications. Please visit igmarkets.nl for CFD and FX trading
Do I have to send any money?
No, you don't have to send any money in order to open an account. But, depending on the type of account that you open, we will require a deposit from you before you can place any deals on your account.
How can I fund my account?
We are pleased to accept a wide range of payment methods. The quickest way to fund an account is to enter your debit or credit card details during our online application form; once you've done this you can log in and make a deposit online.
Can I open a Demo account?
No, we don't offer Demo or simulation accounts. It only takes a couple of minutes to open a real account when you apply online, and once you've opened an account you get free access our trading platform and thousands of genuine trading prices. And if you sign up to our TradeSense educational programme, you can start betting from just 10p/point.
Why do you need to know about my earnings and savings?
As a regulated firm we are required to know certain information about prospective customers, including details of your financial status. This information helps us ensure that the products we offer you are appropriate for your financial objectives, and will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Are there any hidden fees or commissions?
No. There is no fee to open or maintain an account with us, and we don't charge any commission on top of our spread.
Can I appoint a Power of Attorney?
Yes. Please open an account as usual. Once your account is open we can supply a short supplementary document which will enable you to appoint a POA to your account.
Applying online
Nothing happens when I click on the 'Launch online form' button
Our secure form is launched in a new browser window. If you have a pop-up blocker set to High or 'block all pop-ups' then this window may be prevented from opening. Try holding CTRL and ALT while you click on the button, or temporarily reducing your pop-up blocker settings (from the Tools menu if you use Internet Explorer).
The form appears, but I can't enter any data
The form uses a session cookie to hold your data between pages. Please ensure that you have these enabled, see our Cookies page for more.
I can't get onto the next page of the form
Try scrolling down within the form to see if there is an error message and/or to find the 'Next' button - and if you can't see a scrollbar, try using the Tab key instead. If you are a UK resident, please ensure that you have used the 'Get Address' button to provide your full address on page 1.
Are my details secure?
Yes. Your details are submitted to us over https and are held in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Has my application been accepted?
We will send an automated email response to the address you supply. This will confirm whether your application has been successful or if we require further information from you. If you have submitted the form but not received an email, please contact us.
Do I need a credit/debit card?
No, you can open an account without supplying these details; just select 'None' from the list of card types. We do recommend, however, that you enter these details if possible as it will make it easier to make a payment to us.
Why do you need my bank details?
We don't. The bank details are optional during the account opening process. But if you do choose to supply them at this stage, it will make it easier for us to send payments to you further down the line.