Which Australian brokers charge no inactivity fee?
Verdict
- Pepperstone charges no inactivity or account-keeping fee, which makes it our first pick if you trade in bursts and leave the account idle for months.
- The one condition Pepperstone publishes: accounts holding under 10 units of currency and unused for three months or more may be archived.
- Plus500 publishes an inactivity fee of up to USD 10 a month after three months without logging in (on its fee page we checked).
- For most other ASIC-licensed brokers our verified data does not include an inactivity-fee figure, so ask before you go quiet.
Plenty of traders open an account, place a few trades and then step away for a season. Pepperstone will not charge you for that, which is the main reason we put it first here. Below is what we could confirm for other brokers, and what an idle account can still cost you.
Pepperstone: no fee for leaving the account alone
Pepperstone states that it charges no inactivity fee and no account-keeping fee. The only housekeeping rule it publishes is that an account with less than 10 units of currency that has not been used for three months or more may be archived, which closes off a dormant shell rather than draining a balance. Combine that with a $10 minimum deposit and free deposits and withdrawals on the Australian payment table, and an occasional trader pays nothing to keep the account open. Your account sits with Pepperstone Group Limited, licensed by ASIC under AFSL 414530.
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What we could confirm about inactivity fees
Plus500's figure comes from the fee schedule on its UAE site; confirm the Australian schedule before relying on it.
| Broker | Australian licence | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | AFSL 414530 | None; small unused accounts may be archived after 3+ months |
| Plus500 | AFSL 417727 | Up to USD 10 a month after 3 months without login (fee page checked) |
| Capital.com | AFSL 513393 | Not in our verified data |
| IC Markets | AFSL 335692 | Not in our verified data; it says it charges no extra deposit or withdrawal fees |
| CMC Markets | AFSL 238054 | Not in our verified data |
What a quiet year can cost
Take a $500 balance left untouched for twelve months. At Pepperstone the account costs nothing, provided no positions are left open. Under a structure like the one Plus500 publishes, a fee of up to $10 a month could start after three months without a login, so nine months could cost up to $90, almost a fifth of the balance. The smaller the account, the more an inactivity charge hurts, which is why this matters most to beginners who funded a small amount to try things out.
Charges that still reach an idle account
- Overnight financing on any position you leave open: an idle trader with an open trade is still paying swap every night.
- Archiving: at Pepperstone, a near-empty account unused for three months may be archived, so you may need support to reactivate it.
- Conversion: if your base currency differs from your bank's, moving money in or out may involve a currency conversion.
- Card expiry: withdrawals go back to the source you paid from, so keep that card or bank account active.
Before you step away from trading
- Close open positions or accept that swap keeps accruing.
- Withdraw spare cash to the account you funded from.
- Note your account number and the support line, 1300 033 375 in Australia.
- If you use a broker other than Pepperstone, ask support in writing whether an inactivity fee applies and after how long.
Sources
Fee pages published by the brokers.
Will Pepperstone close my account if I stop trading?
It publishes no inactivity fee. Accounts holding under 10 units of currency and unused for three months or more may be archived; a funded account is not charged for being idle.
Does an open position count as activity?
Fee rules differ by broker, but an open position keeps costing you overnight financing whether or not you log in, so it is never truly free to leave one running.
Do I need to keep a minimum balance at Pepperstone?
No minimum balance is published. The minimum deposit to open is $10.
Trading CFDs and margin FX is high risk: leverage can wipe out your money quickly, and losses can build faster than you expect. This page is not financial advice and does not consider your circumstances; check each broker's current PDS, TMD and fee pages before opening an account.