How do I check a broker holds an AFSL?
Verdict
- Take the AFSL number and company name from the broker's website footer, search them on ASIC's professional register, and confirm your PDS names the same company; Pepperstone, our top pick, passes all three checks with Pepperstone Group Limited, AFSL 414530.
- The name match matters as much as the number: a licence held by a sister company does not cover your account.
- Check that the licence is current, not ceased or suspended, before you deposit.
- Groups with offshore companies may route you there; Pepperstone's Bahamas company says its products are not for Australian residents.
In Australia, CFD brokers serve retail clients under an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). Checking one takes about five minutes, and the most common trap is not a fake number but a real licence that belongs to a different company from the one taking your money.
The check, done on Pepperstone
Pepperstone's Australian website footer names Pepperstone Group Limited, ACN 147 055 703, AFSL 414530, licensed and regulated by ASIC, at Level 16, Tower One, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3008. Its Product Disclosure Statement for Australia, dated August 2026, is issued by the same company. When you open an account through pepperstone.com/en-au, that is the company you contract with. Repeat the same check on any broker you shortlist; we did it here so you can see what a clean result looks like.
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Step by step
- Scroll to the footer of the broker's Australian website and copy the company name, ACN or ABN and AFSL number.
- Search ASIC's online professional register by licence number, then by company name.
- Confirm the register shows the licence as current, and that the licensee's name matches the footer exactly.
- Open the PDS and check the issuer's name and AFSL on the first pages.
- When you sign up, check the client agreement names the same company before you deposit.
Licence numbers of brokers serving Australians
These are the Australian companies and AFSL numbers the brokers themselves publish. Use them as a starting point, then verify on the register.
| Brand | Australian company | AFSL |
|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | Pepperstone Group Limited | 414530 |
| Capital.com | Capital Com Australia Pty Ltd | 513393 |
| IC Markets | International Capital Markets Pty Ltd | 335692 |
| CMC Markets | CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty Ltd | 238054 |
| IG | IG Australia Pty Ltd | 515106 |
| FP Markets | First Prudential Markets Pty Ltd | 286354 |
| Vantage | Vantage Global Prime Pty Ltd | 428901 |
Traps the register check catches
- Brand without licence: a firm uses a well-known broker's name, but the company in its footer has no AFSL.
- Group licence, offshore account: the group holds an AFSL, but you are signed up with a company in another country. Pepperstone's Bahamas terms exclude Australian residents, which is the right answer.
- Renamed licensee: Saxo's former Australian company now trades as Totality Wealth Limited (AFSL 280372); make sure the brand you see is the business you think.
- Representative, not licensee: some firms act under another company's licence; the register shows who actually holds it.
What a valid AFSL does and doesn't prove
A current licence means ASIC has authorised the company and can supervise it. For retail CFD clients it brings capped leverage and, at the brokers we checked, negative balance protection. It does not prove the broker is cheap, that its platform suits you, or that your money is covered by a compensation fund; Pepperstone, for example, names none for its Australian clients. Licensing is the first filter, not the last.
Sources
Licence details as published by each broker.
What is Pepperstone's AFSL number?
414530, held by Pepperstone Group Limited, ACN 147 055 703.
Is an ABN the same as an AFSL?
No. An ABN or ACN identifies a business; an AFSL is the licence to provide financial services. A broker needs the licence, and the names on both should match.
What if the broker's footer shows no AFSL?
Treat it as a broker not licensed to deal with Australian retail clients and don't deposit.
CFDs are leveraged and complex, and you can lose money rapidly. Make sure you understand how they work and can afford the risk. Nothing here is investment advice; broker terms change, so confirm them in the broker's own documents before you deposit.