Pepperstone Review

When it was launched, Pepperstone aimed at offering lower spreads, fast execution, and high quality service. Today, Pepperstone continues to offer the same to their customers in more than 65 countries all over the world.

Why South African Traders Should Choose Pepperstone

South African investors can choose from a wide range of forex providers, but they should choose Pepperstone for the following reasons:

1. Knowledge of Trader Requirements – Pepperstone knows exactly what its clients want. It combines high-speed processing with market knowledge to establish brand new standards in the forex trading industry. As a result, clients have spreads that start from 0.0 pips.
2. Global Style of Trading – Clients don’t have to worry about complex account structures. The broker’s focus is on low cost trading and fast trade execution. Clients can implement any trading style they please. They can start trading on a minimum deposit of AU$200.
3. Implements Latest Technologies – Pepperstone uses the latest technologies to offer sophisticated trading tools, advanced account analytics, WebTrader, and mobile apps.
4. Excellent Customer Support – The Forex broker is the winner of several industry awards, many of which are conferred on it in recognition of the excellence of its customer support. Its customer support team is fully capable of delivering personalized support. Since the customer care representatives have ample industry experience and knowledge, they are capable of helping traders achieve their goals.
5. Great Trading Conditions – The Forex broker offers spreads and liquidity that could once only be accessed by major financial institutions and banks. Moreover, the Pepperstone system is based on the latest technology. As a result, the broker is fast, efficient, and reliable.

Is Pepperstone Regulated in South Africa?

There are two Pepperstone entities on which players can open accounts on:

• Pepperstone Group Limited (Australia), which is licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).
• Pepperstone Limited (UK and EEA), which is licensed and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• SCB.
• DFSA.

Although the online broker hasn’t been licensed by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), South African traders can still consider it to be reliable as it is licensed in two reputed jurisdictions.

Opening an Account at Pepperstone

Clients can get started by opening a demo account or a live account at Pepperstone.

Demo Account

A demo account is for new and inexperienced traders who want to practice trading risk free before opening a live account. Sometimes even experienced traders open demo accounts to test new trading strategies.

Demo accounts remain valid for 30 days, and as soon as you create one, you will get $50k in virtual funds in your account. You can sign up for a demo account through social networking sites such as Facebook and Google. Or you can sign up by using your details.

You have to fill in your name, mobile number, and email address and create a password. You also have to confirm that you are above the age of 18 and that you agree to the broker’s policies.

To be brief, it is a three-step procedure:

• Create your demo account.
• Download your preferred trading platform.
• Practice trading with your virtual funds.

Live Account

Opening a live account is a similar procedure, requiring clients to reveal their country of residence and email address and create a password. Customers can also sign up for a live account through their Google or Facebook accounts.

To be brief, it is a four-step procedure:

• Create your login details.
• Fill in your application form.
• Confirm your identity.
• Fund your account and start trading.

Overview of Trading Accounts

You can choose from four types of trading accounts at Pepperstone.com:

1. Edge Standard Account – It features $0 commission and institutional grade STP spreads.
2. Edge Razor Account – The spreads start from 0.0 pips and the commission is $3.5.
3. Edge Swap Free Account – Since it is interest free, it is ideal for those whose religious beliefs do not permit them to accept interest. It features STP spreads and $0 commission.
4. Edge Active Traders – Designed especially for institutional and high value traders, this account comes with spreads that start from 0.0 pips.

Trading Instruments

Pepperstone offers a complete suite of products to meet the requirements of all its clients. So you can trade over 70 currency pairs, commodities such as natural gas and oil, precious metals such as silver and gold, and major indices.

Here is a brief overview of all the trading instruments at Pepperstone:

• Forex Trading – Pepperstone started off as a broker specializing in forex trading, and expanded its product portfolio only recently. You can trade a wide range of currency pairs such as USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and AUD/USD. The focus is on high-quality trade execution, low latency, and up to 500:1 leverage.
• Index CFD Trading – Index CFD trading at Pepperstone.com features low latency, no requotes, and no hidden mark ups. You can trade 14 international stock indexes.
• Precious Metals – Trade precious metals such as palladium, silver, gold, and platinum.
• Cryptocurrencies – Trade cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin, Dash, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Bitcoin against the US Dollar. Enjoy leverage of up to 5:1.
• Energy – Trade in energy markets such as Brent Crude Oil and West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil and Natural Gas.

Trading Platforms

Pepperstone offers 11 trading platforms, enabling its client to trade any way they please from any place.

MetaTrader 4/5

The MT 4 platform is available for Windows and Mac. Clients can make use of Smart Tools to get the most of their MT4 platform. Smart Tools help traders by providing decision assistance, advanced execution and management of trades, broadcast facilities, alarms, and up-to-date market data.

If clients prefer trading on the MetaTrader 5 platform, they can easily open a MT5 account. Pepperstone offers video tutorials on how to download, install, and get started with MT5.

The WebTrader platform is for traders looking for a no-download trading solution. They can use WebTrader to access their MT4 platform on the browser.

Clients also have the option of trading on the move using the MT4 apps for iPhone, Android, iPad, and tablets.

cTrader

Customers can either download the cTrader platform or use the cTrader WebTrader solution to trade on their browsers.

Pepperstone also offers cAlgo, a powerful platform that helps customers create robots and indicators and use them for trading. Traders can use its in-built C# resources and back-testing functionalities to create their own algorithms. You have to download cTrader Algo in order to use it.

The cTrader platform is also optimized for mobile use, and cTrader Mobile is compatible with Android and iOS. You can directly launch cTrader mobile on your browser or download the native app for Android and iPhone.

Features that Make Pepperstone Different

Here are a few features that make Pepperstone stand in a class of its own:

1. CPA Affiliate Program – Pepperstone offers a CPA affiliate program those who would like to earn flat commission fees for active traders they refer to the Forex broker.
2. Premium Client Service– Pepperstone.com rewards its high-volume online Forex traders with exceptional priority customer support, exclusive rewards, and customized benefits. As a premium client of Pepperstone, you can enjoy advanced trading tools, VPS solutions, invitations to premium trading events, advanced market insights, and premium cashback offers.
3. Active Trader Program– Through this program, Pepperstone.com rewards its high-volume Forex traders with cashback offers and enables them to save plenty of cash on commissions. Your rebate, however, depends on your trading volume. You simply have to trade more if you want a bigger cashback.
4. Refer-a-friend – Pepperstone rewards traders who refer their friends to its services with AU$100. But the referred friend should first deposit at least AU$1000 in his/her account and trade at least five standard forex lots.
5. Social Trading – Pepperstone has partnered with several social trading platforms for customers who want to follow successful traders and copy their trades. These social trading platforms are:

• ZuluTrade
• Mirror Trader
• DupliTrade
• Myfxbook
• MetaTrader 4 Signals
• RoboX

4. Educational Resources – Pepperstone educates traders through trading guides, webinars, glossaries, and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
5. Trading Tools – The online broker offers tools such as economic calendar, autochartist, and market review to help traders make better decisions.

Banking Information – Making Deposits and Withdrawals

Pepperstone supports currencies such as AUD, USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, JPY, NXD, CHF, SGD, and HKD. Traders can use the following methods to fund their accounts:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Credit/debit Card
• PayPal
• POLi
• China Union Pay
• Bank Transfer
• Skrill
• Neteller
• Local bank transfers

Pepperstone does not charge fees for withdrawals and deposits, but banks and financial institutions may charge processing or transaction fees.

The FX broker processes all withdrawals received before 21:00 GMT on the same day. Deposits and withdrawals are free, but Pepperstone passes International Telegraphic Transfer (TT) fees, if any, to its clients. Usually the TT fees are AU$20. Wire Transfer withdrawals may take up to five days to show in traders’ accounts.

How to Get Help at Pepperstone.com

Click on the Support link in the main menu at the top of Pepperstone’s official website to open a comprehensive knowledge base. Here you will find information on funding and withdrawals, managing accounts, creating accounts, trading tools, trading platforms, trading conditions, and much more.

If you still have an issue, you can use the following methods to get in touch with a customer support agent at Pepperstone.com:

• Launch the live chat button.
• Use the toll-free AU number 1300-033-376 or the international phone number +613-9020-0155.
• Email to [email protected].
• Use the online contact form to get a response in 24 hours.

Pepperstone FAQ

Q1: Does Pepperstone accept South African traders?

A: Yes, traders from South Africa can register at Pepperstone.

Q2: What is the minimum deposit amount at Pepperstone?

A: The minimum deposit amount at Pepperstone is AU$200 or its currency equivalent in ZAR.

Q3: What happens if I leave my account inactive?

A: Pepperstone temporarily archives accounts that are left inactive for a period of 3 months. If you want to access your inactive account, you must send an email to [email protected] and request the broker to reactivate their account.

Q4: I would like to learn about forex trading. What should I do?

A: We suggest that you open a demo account and practice trading without using real money. You can also check out Pepperstone’s educational material on forex trading.

Q5: How do I contact Pepperstone?

A: You can call the number +61 3 9020 0155, launch the live chat window, or send an email to [email protected].

Our Take on Pepperstone

Pepperstone is a highly reputed online broker in UK and Australia and has a number of advantages, as follows:

• Low or no commission
• Tight spreads
• 90+ assets for trading
• Four types of accounts
• 11 trading platforms

Pepperstone accepts traders from South Africa. If you are inexperienced, you can get started with a demo account. You can also use educational resources such as trading glossaries, trading guides, and trading articles to learn more about forex and CFD trading. You can open a live account only when you are more confident of your trading skills.