Plus500 regulation & licences
Our take
Plus500 is an Israeli-founded CFD provider listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its subsidiaries are regulated by the FCA, CySEC, ASIC, the FMA in New Zealand, the FSCA, MAS, the DFSA, the Estonian FSA and the Seychelles FSA, and in the US it operates a futures brokerage registered with the CFTC. Plus500 acts as market maker and offers its own platform only.
Best suited to: Traders who want a simple proprietary CFD platform from a listed firm
Licences on record 10
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong regulation
4 Tier 4 — light / offshore
Licences are matched from public sources and regulator registers, and entities change over time. A licence held by one company in a group does not cover clients of another. Always confirm on the official register.
Regulatory profile
Plus500 is a forex & CFD broker founded in 2008 and headquartered in Israel. It is a publicly listed business (LSE:PLUS), which means audited financial statements are published regularly — a meaningful transparency advantage.
In our database Plus500 is matched to 10 licences from ASIC, CFTC / NFA, FCA, MAS, CySEC, DFSA, EFSA, FMA (NZ), FSCA and FSA (Seychelles). At the top of that list, the ASIC (Australia), the CFTC / NFA (United States), the FCA (United Kingdom) and the MAS (Singapore) are among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators known for demanding capital and client-money standards and active enforcement.
Plus500's licences span very different levels of protection — from ASIC and CFTC / NFA to FSA (Seychelles). The entity you are assigned to normally depends on your country of residence; if you live outside the jurisdictions of its stronger licences, expect to be onboarded to an offshore entity.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by FSCS (FCA), Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) (CySEC) and Guarantee Fund (EFSA). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under ASIC, FCA, CySEC and EFSA rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the ASIC, CFTC / NFA and FCA-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at ASIC).
Plus500 provides access to its own proprietary platform. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Listed on the LSE
- Licensed by several tier-1 regulators
- Very simple platform
Points to check
- No MetaTrader or cTrader
- Market-maker execution model
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ASIC | No statutory compensation fund for OTC derivatives; complaints go to AFCA | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients since March 2021 | Required for retail clients | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) |
| 1 CFTC / NFA | No compensation scheme for retail forex (SIPC does not cover spot FX) | 50:1 on major FX pairs, 20:1 on other pairs | Not a regulatory requirement | NFA arbitration |
| 1 FCA | FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients (20:1 minors, gold and major indices) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) |
| 1 MAS | No compensation scheme for leveraged FX | 20:1 on major FX pairs for retail investors | Not a regulatory requirement | Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) |
| 2 CySEC | Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus |
| 2 DFSA | No compensation scheme | Set under DFSA conduct rules for retail clients; check the firm's disclosures | Not confirmed — check with the broker | DFSA complaints / DIFC Courts |
| 2 EFSA | Guarantee Fund — 90% of claim up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Consumer Disputes Committee |
| 2 FMA (NZ) | No compensation scheme; approved dispute resolution schemes | No fixed statutory cap; conduct and disclosure rules apply | Not a regulatory requirement | Approved dispute resolution schemes (e.g. FSCL, IFSO) |
| 2 FSCA | No compensation scheme; FAIS Ombud handles complaints | No statutory retail leverage cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FAIS Ombud |
| 4 FSA (Seychelles) | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FSA Seychelles |
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Plus500 regulation FAQ
Is Plus500 regulated?
Yes — in our database Plus500 is matched to 10 licences: ASIC (Australia), CFTC / NFA (United States), FCA (United Kingdom), MAS (Singapore), CySEC (Cyprus), DFSA (United Arab Emirates), EFSA (Estonia), FMA (NZ) (New Zealand), FSCA (South Africa) and FSA (Seychelles) (Seychelles). Which of these protects you depends on the legal entity you open an account with. Always confirm the licence on the regulator's official register.
Is Plus500 a tier-1 regulated broker?
Plus500 holds 4 licences from regulators we classify as tier 1: ASIC, CFTC / NFA, FCA and MAS.
Does Plus500 accept US clients?
Plus500 is matched to a CFTC/NFA registration in our database, so a US-regulated entity exists. US accounts are subject to 50:1 leverage caps, FIFO and no-hedging rules.
Is my money protected with Plus500?
Clients of Plus500's FCA, CySEC and EFSA-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000; Guarantee Fund — 90% of claim up to €20,000). Clients of other entities rely on segregation of funds and the firm's financial strength.
What is the minimum deposit at Plus500?
Plus500's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify Plus500's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in Plus500's client agreement or website footer, then search it on the regulator's official register (linked from each licence on this page). Confirm that the website domain you use is listed on the register, and check the regulator's warning list for clones.