Which UK brokers charge inactivity fees?
Verdict
- Pepperstone, our top pick for UK traders, charges no inactivity or account-keeping fee; it may archive accounts holding under 10 units of currency that have gone unused for three months or more.
- Plus500 publishes an inactivity fee of up to USD 10 a month after three months without logging in, on the fee page we checked from its UAE site.
- For the other UK brokers in our data we found no published inactivity statement either way, so read the fee page before leaving an account dormant.
- No inactivity fee does not mean no cost: Pepperstone charges an overnight fee on positions held past 10 pm UK time.
An inactivity fee is a monthly charge some brokers take from accounts that have not traded or logged in for a while. It is easy to miss, because it starts only once you have stopped paying attention. Here is who charges one, who does not, and how to keep a quiet account from leaking money.
Pepperstone: no inactivity fee
Pepperstone's UK costs page states that it charges no inactivity or account-keeping fee. The only consequence of leaving an account idle is administrative: an account with less than 10 units of its base currency, unused for three months or more, may be archived. Add a £10 minimum for card, Apple Pay and Google Pay deposits, and free deposits by every listed method, and Pepperstone is an easy account to keep open between trading spells.
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What UK brokers publish about inactivity
Capital.com is our second choice in the UK, but our fact pack holds no inactivity statement for it, and the same is true of IG and CMC Markets. That is not evidence they charge one, only that we cannot confirm it either way.
| Broker | Inactivity fee | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | No | Accounts under 10 currency units and unused for 3+ months may be archived |
| Plus500 | Yes | Up to USD 10 a month after 3 months without login (UAE fee page) |
| Capital.com | Not found in our data | Check its fee page |
| IG | Not found in our data | Check its fee page |
| CMC Markets | Not found in our data | Check its fee page |
What a forgotten balance can cost
Leave £500 at a broker that charges $10 a month once three months pass, and after a year the fee has run for nine months: $90 taken from a balance you were not using. Over two years it is $210. At Pepperstone the same £500 stays untouched, and it sits well above the 10-unit level below which an unused account may be archived.
Costs that keep running on an idle account
- Open positions: an overnight fee is charged for each night a position is held past 10 pm UK time.
- Getting the money out: Pepperstone's withdrawals table lists bank transfers as free, although its costs-page FAQ mentions £15 for an international bank wire.
- Currency: if your account and bank currencies differ, a conversion happens on the way out, so check the rate first.
How to avoid inactivity charges at any broker
- Search the fee page for 'inactivity', 'dormant' or 'account maintenance' before you open the account.
- Note the trigger: Plus500's is based on logins; others may count days without a trade.
- If you plan a long break, withdraw spare funds to your bank first.
- Close positions you no longer watch so overnight fees stop.
Sources
Fee statements as each broker publishes them.
Will Pepperstone close my account if I stop trading?
Pepperstone says accounts holding under 10 units of their base currency and unused for three months or more may be archived. It does not charge a fee for inactivity.
Does the no-inactivity-fee rule cover spread betting accounts?
The statement appears on Pepperstone's UK costs page, which covers its spread betting, Standard and Razor accounts. Spread bets themselves carry no commission.
Is Plus500's inactivity fee the same in the UK?
The figure we hold comes from Plus500's UAE fee page. Check its UK fee page before assuming the same amount and trigger apply.
CFDs and spread bets are leveraged and complex, and you can lose money quickly. Consider whether you understand how they work and can afford the high risk of losing your money. This is general information, not investment advice; check each broker's current fee schedule.