• FCA-verified · Independent ratings · Updated weekly
Funding method
The fastest way to fund a UK trading account without exposing card details to the broker.
Below: how PayPal 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
PayPal at a glance: instant, usually credited in under two minutes, no broker fee at most fca firms, with withdrawals back to the same paypal account within one working day.
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. Traders who want speed and a payment layer between them and the broker.
Deposit speed
Instant, usually credited in under two minutes
Fees
No broker fee at most FCA firms
Typical minimum
£10 to £100 depending on the broker
Withdrawal
Back to the same PayPal account within one working day
Best suited to
Traders who want speed and a payment layer between them and the broker
Watch out for
Not every FCA broker supports it, and PayPal balances funded by credit card can be blocked.
The fastest way to fund a UK trading account without exposing card details to the broker. In practice the flow is the same at every FCA firm: you complete identity verification, choose PayPal in the cashier, authorise the payment, and the balance appears in your trading account once the broker's payment provider confirms it. Instant, usually credited in under two minutes.
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.
Traders who want speed and a payment layer between them and the broker. 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.
No broker fee at most FCA firms. 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.
Back to the same PayPal account within one working day. 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.
Not every FCA broker supports it, and PayPal balances funded by credit card can be blocked.
Desk shortlist
Ten authorised firms scored on cost, execution, platform, product range, funding and support. Funding routes change from time to time, so confirm PayPal 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
UK's largest investment platform. HL platform.
£1
Deposit
n/a
Spread
| # | Broker | Rating | Min. deposit | Spread from | Platforms | FCA | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |  AJ BellLow-cost SIPPs and ISAsLow-cost SIPPs and ISAs | ★★★★★4.6 | £1 | From n/a | AJ Bell platform, Dodl | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 7 |  eToro UKLargest copy-trading networkLargest copy-trading network | ★★★★★4.5 | £50 | From 1.0 pips | eToro platform | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 8 |  Plus500 UKSimple, fast interfaceSimple, fast interface | ★★★★★4.5 | £100 | From 0.8 pips | WebTrader, app | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 9 |  Capital.com UKSmart trader analyticsSmart trader analytics | ★★★★★4.5 | £20 | From 0.6 pips | Proprietary, MT4, TradingView | ✓ | Trade NowReview |
| 10 |  Vantage UKRaw ECN accountRaw ECN account | ★★★★★4.5 | £50 | From 0.0 pips | MT4, MT5, ProTrader | ✓ | 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
No broker fee at most FCA firms. 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.
Instant, usually credited in under two minutes. Weekend deposits generally credit immediately but any manual review sits until the next working day.
Back to the same PayPal account within one working day. Withdrawals must return to the funding source first, up to the amount you deposited through it.
£10 to £100 depending on the broker. 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.
Not every FCA broker supports it, and PayPal balances funded by credit card can be blocked.
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.