Which CFD brokers offer professional or accredited investor accounts?
Verdict
- Pepperstone is our pick for a professional CFD account: Pepperstone Pro, run by Pepperstone Markets Limited (SCB Bahamas, SIA-F217), raises leverage to 1:500 on forex, gold and major indices.
- You qualify by self-certifying two of three criteria: leveraged trading experience, cash and portfolio above USD 500,000, or professional experience in financial services.
- Pepperstone Pro is Pepperstone's own classification under a Bahamas licence. It is not Singapore accredited-investor status, because Pepperstone holds no MAS licence.
- Going pro costs you standard negative-balance protection; Pepperstone replaces it with a discretionary, one-time cover of up to USD 100,000.
Two different labels hide in this question. A "professional client" is a broker's own classification, set by its regulator's rules. An "accredited investor" is a Singapore legal status that matters with MAS-licensed firms. Pepperstone offers the first to Singapore residents, not the second.
Pepperstone Pro: who qualifies and what changes
On its international pro page, Pepperstone asks you to self-certify two of three tests: experience trading leveraged products, cash plus portfolio worth more than USD 500,000, or professional experience in financial services. Once approved, the leverage ceilings change as follows:
| Asset class | Retail | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Forex | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| Gold | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| Major indices | 1:200 | 1:500 |
| Other metals | 1:10 | 1:50 |
| BTC/USD | 1:20 | 1:500 |
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What you give up as a pro client
- Negative-balance protection: retail clients are not liable for negative equity under the SCB terms; Pro clients get only a discretionary, one-time cover of up to USD 100,000.
- Margin: the higher leverage means a smaller move can consume your margin. At 1:500, a 0.2% move equals the full margin on a position.
- Pepperstone's pro page headline mentions leverage of 1:1000 on gold and forex, which conflicts with its own table and costs page (1:500). Rely on the table and confirm with Pepperstone.
Where Pepperstone Pro adds value beyond leverage
Pepperstone lists a free VPS for eligible and Pro clients, which matters if you run expert advisors or cBots that need to stay online. Costs stay the same as the underlying account: the Razor account's 0.1-pip published average on EUR/USD plus USD 3.50 per side on MT5 (USD 3.00 on cTrader).
Accredited investor status with a MAS-licensed broker
If you want Singapore's accredited-investor framework to apply, you need a broker whose Singapore company is MAS-licensed. In our data that includes IG Asia Pte Ltd, Saxo Capital Markets Pte. Ltd., CMC Markets Singapore, OANDA, Plus500SG Pte Ltd (CMS100648), eToro Singapore Pte. Ltd. (CMS101824) and StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. Their accredited-investor criteria and terms are not in our fact set, so ask each firm what the status changes in leverage and protections.
XS and Capital.com
XS accepts Singapore residents, but our data holds no XS professional-client criteria; its standard account page already advertises up to 1:2000 with dynamic leverage, without naming the XS company behind that offer. Capital.com does not accept Singapore residents.
Sources
Professional-client terms as published.
Is Pepperstone Pro the same as being an accredited investor in Singapore?
No. It is Pepperstone's own professional classification under its Bahamas licence. Singapore's accredited-investor status applies through MAS-licensed firms.
How much do I need to qualify for Pepperstone Pro?
Money is only one route: cash plus portfolio above USD 500,000 counts as one of the three criteria, and you need two of them.
Can I switch back to retail?
Our data does not include Pepperstone's procedure for reverting. Ask support before applying, since the change affects your protections.
Professional accounts carry higher leverage and fewer protections. CFDs are complex and can lose you money rapidly. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice.