• FCA-verified · Independent ratings · Updated weekly
Funding method
The route of choice for larger balances, with no card limits and a clear paper trail.
Below: how Bank transfer behaves in practice at FCA-regulated firms, what it really costs once conversion is counted, how withdrawals are handled, and the ten authorised brokers we rate highest for traders funding this way.
FCA regulated, FSCS £85K, since 1974
Rated 4.9 out of 5 after live-account testing by the desk.
Min spread
0.6 pips
Min deposit
£0
Regulator
FCA
Best for
Deepest UK market coverage
CFDs are complex instruments. Your capital is at risk.
On this page
Bank transfer at a glance: same day by faster payments, one to three days internationally, free domestically, correspondent fees possible on international wires, with withdrawals direct to the named bank account, one to two working days.
We cover how the method works, the real cost once currency conversion is included, the withdrawal rules that apply to it, and the FCA brokers that accept it. Deposits above a few thousand pounds.
Deposit speed
Same day by Faster Payments, one to three days internationally
Fees
Free domestically, correspondent fees possible on international wires
Typical minimum
No practical minimum, though some brokers set £100
Withdrawal
Direct to the named bank account, one to two working days
Best suited to
Deposits above a few thousand pounds
Watch out for
The receiving account must be in your own name or the payment will be returned.
The route of choice for larger balances, with no card limits and a clear paper trail. In practice the flow is the same at every FCA firm: you complete identity verification, choose Bank transfer in the cashier, authorise the payment, and the balance appears in your trading account once the broker's payment provider confirms it. Same day by Faster Payments, one to three days internationally.
The part that varies between brokers is not the payment rail but the treatment afterwards. Some firms credit funds instantly and settle behind the scenes; others hold the deposit until settlement clears, which can add hours. Neither approach is wrong, but if you fund an account to meet a margin call, the difference matters a great deal.
Deposits above a few thousand pounds. That is the honest use case, and it is worth being clear about it because funding routes are frequently chosen for convenience and then blamed later for costs that were predictable from the start.
Free domestically, correspondent fees possible on international wires. The headline is only half the story: the cost most traders actually pay is currency conversion. Funding a GBP account from a GBP source is free at every broker in our list, while funding a USD account from sterling can cost between 0.3% and 1% depending on who does the converting.
Work out the annual figure before deciding. A trader making two deposits and two withdrawals a month at 0.5% conversion each way is paying more in funding friction than in spread on a modest account. Choosing an account denominated in your own currency removes that entirely.
Where a broker advertises free funding, read whether that covers withdrawals as well. Free in, charged out is common, and the charge is usually a flat fee that hurts small withdrawals disproportionately.
Direct to the named bank account, one to two working days. On top of the broker's own processing time, the return-to-source rule means your first withdrawal must go back to the account that funded it, up to the deposited amount. Profit above that can normally be sent to a verified bank account.
Test the route early. Deposit a small sum, place one small trade, then withdraw the entire balance. You will learn more about a broker's operations from that one exercise than from any review, including ours, and it costs almost nothing.
The receiving account must be in your own name or the payment will be returned.
Desk shortlist
Ten authorised firms scored on cost, execution, platform, product range, funding and support. Funding routes change from time to time, so confirm Bank transfer is still listed in the broker's cashier before you open the account.
Deepest UK market coverage. Web, MT4, ProRealTime.
£0
Deposit
0.6 pips
Spread
Best-in-class charting. Next Generation, MT4.
£0
Deposit
0.7 pips
Spread
Lowest all-in FX cost. MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView.
£0
Deposit
0.0 pips
Spread
Global multi-asset access. TWS, IBKR Desktop, API.
£0
Deposit
0.2 pips
Spread
Fast, reliable execution. ActivTrader, MT4, MT5.
£0
Deposit
0.5 pips
Spread
| # | Broker | Rating | Min. deposit | Spread from | Platforms | FCA | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |  Admirals UKGreat educational libraryGreat educational library | ★★★★★4.6 | £100 | From 0.5 pips | MT4, MT5 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 7 |  FxPro UKNo dealing desk modelNo dealing desk model | ★★★★★4.6 | £100 | From 0.3 pips | MT4, MT5, cTrader | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 8 |  Swissquote UKBank-backed securityBank-backed security | ★★★★★4.6 | £1,000 | From 0.6 pips | Advanced Trader, MT4, MT5 | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 9 |  Trading 212Zero-commission investingZero-commission investing | ★★★★★4.6 | £1 | From 0.6 pips | Proprietary app | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 10 |  Hargreaves LansdownUK's largest investment platformUK's largest investment platform | ★★★★★4.6 | £1 | From n/a | HL platform | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
Funding FAQ
The questions the desk is asked most often about this funding route at UK brokers.
Ask the deskStill deciding which broker?
Our #1-ranked FCA broker for 2026 is IG, tested live from our desk with £0 minimum deposit and spreads from 0.6 pips.
IG, Best UK Broker 2026
FCA · FSCS £85K · Since 1974
Free domestically, correspondent fees possible on international wires. Where a fee exists it is usually charged by the payment provider rather than the broker, and currency conversion is the larger cost for most traders.
Same day by Faster Payments, one to three days internationally. Weekend deposits generally credit immediately but any manual review sits until the next working day.
Direct to the named bank account, one to two working days. Withdrawals must return to the funding source first, up to the amount you deposited through it.
No practical minimum, though some brokers set £100. Brokers set their own floor, and some apply a higher minimum to the first deposit than to subsequent ones.
At an FCA-authorised firm your money is held in segregated client accounts and eligible claims are covered by the FSCS up to £85,000 if the firm fails. That protection follows the entity, not the payment method, so check which entity you are contracting with.
The receiving account must be in your own name or the payment will be returned.
Risk warning
CFDs and spread bets are leveraged products and the majority of retail accounts lose money. Figures on this page are researched from firm documentation and live accounts, but pricing, funding routes and account terms change without notice. Check the broker's own terms and the Financial Services Register before you deposit, and never risk money you cannot afford to lose.