Plus500 is an Israeli-based retail broker offering contracts for difference ( CFD ) trading. Its portfolio includes over 2,800 instruments, used by 23 million customers in 50 countries worldwide.
82% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The broker has various branches that are regulated by different supervisory institutions:
Plus500 UK LTD is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 509909).
Plus500 CY LTD is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (License No. 250/14).
Plus500 AU LTD is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission – Australia only (AFSL #417727).
Contents:
CFD Offer at Plus500
For years, the core of Plus500’s offering has been contracts for difference , offered on the foreign exchange market, indices, commodities, shares, options, ETFs and cryptocurrencies.
Most of Plus500’s services are free, but in some cases, commissions may apply. You can read about Plus500 CFD fees here: https://www.plus500.com/en-CY/help/feescharges?productType=CFD ; and you can find information about Plus500 Invest fees here: https://www.plus500.com/en-CY/Invest/Help/FeesCharges
Each CFD instrument has its own detailed information page ( here ) , where you can find a chart, the current price, information about the spread and related instruments, a macroeconomic calendar, as well as the sentiment of Plus500 customers regarding a specific asset (this pattern applies to all asset classes).
Sample page of instruments offered by Plus500. Source: Plus500
Forex
The Plus500 broker offers access to over 60 currency pairs on the Forex market with leverage up to 30:1. The minimum amount to start trading is PLN 500. In addition to investing in basic pairs, they also offer pairs with the Polish złoty.
Plus500 doesn’t charge commission for currency trading; instead, it generates its profits through the spread , which is the difference between the buy and sell price of a given currency pair. Other costs that may be incurred include swap, currency conversion fees, and a $10 monthly inactivity fee if a trader doesn’t log in to their account for a quarter.
Goods
Plus500 offers over 20 instruments in the commodities and raw materials markets , including popular assets like gold, silver, and platinum, as well as less popular options like feeder cattle, live cattle, and pig carcasses.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency futures are available at Plus500 24/7 (except for one hour on Sundays). However, it’s important to remember that these are CFDs , so opening a position doesn’t mean you’re buying the underlying asset or rights to it. However, you can leverage your trading and trade not only on the rising but also the falling prices of cryptocurrency instruments.
Plus500 offers the most popular digital assets. Besides Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and the ETH/BTC pair, there are 20 of them in total . In addition to cryptocurrency pairs, investors can also trade an index of the 10 most popular cryptocurrencies, as well as an index of companies from the NFT or metaverse industries.
Shares
An investor looking to trade shares at Plus500 has a wide range of stock CFDs to choose from.
Stock Selection. Source: Plus500
It is worth noting that in the case of CFDs, a large number of shares will be available (including those listed on the WSE) .
Indices, Options and ETFs
The broker’s CFD offering also includes stock index contracts, options, and ETFs . In addition to core national indices for the largest stock exchanges, the offering also includes proprietary sector indices, including FANG companies, real estate giants, and the largest companies in the metaverse and NFT industries.
CFDs on options, on the other hand, are a mix of instruments based on put and call options on the most popular instruments: commodities and Wall Street stocks. Offers include oil, Apple, Tesla, gold, DAX, and Bitcoin.
The list of ETFs includes several dozen of the most popular instruments listed on global stock exchanges, such as iShares Silver, TQQQ or ARKK.
Real shares at Plus500 Invest
In June 2021, the broker also added investing in real shares to its offer.
Invest offers access to markets including Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Norway, Australia and the Netherlands.
The Invest platform offers no fees for withdrawals and deposits, low trading commissions, no fees for storing funds and no fees for using the platform. Trading commissions on real shares will vary depending on the market. For example , for US stock exchanges, they are $0.006 per share purchased , while on other markets, they are a percentage of the transaction. For London shares, they are 0.045% (minimum £2).
A full list of fees for Plus500 Invest is available here .
Below are the details about the commission:
Invest Market commissions vary by exchange. Source: Plus500
Plus500 Fees and Commissions
As mentioned earlier, Plus 500 charges virtually no additional fees for CFDs.
A full list of fees and commissions for contracts for difference is available here .
Deposits and withdrawals are free of charge , and investors can use traditional bank transfers, Visa and Mastercard payment cards and payment services such as PayPal, Skrill, Klarna, GiroPay, Trustly, Przelewy24 and payments via BLIK.
Commissions and fees. Source: Plus500
However, the customer may pay in the event of currency conversion to the currency of the base account and for account inactivity.
Plus500 platform
Plus500, unlike many other CFD brokers, has never used MetaQuotes platforms (i.e., the popular MetaTrader 4 or 5), instead offering its own proprietary trading platform . Currently, this platform is available in a browser and as a mobile app for iOS and Android devices .
In each of these versions, the platforms are very similar and feature an intuitive design. The charting tool allows you to create basic technical analysis drawings, add the most popular indicators and oscillators, and switch between chart types and time intervals.
A view of the Plus500 trading platform. Source: Plus500
In 2022, Plus500 also introduced +Insights, a service intended as a gateway to social investing (social trading). Using this simple tool , you can track trends within the Plus500 customer community and learn which instruments are most frequently traded, which positions generate the biggest profits/losses, which assets are most frequently bought/sold, and where the highest returns are currently generated. With +Insights, you can apply your own filters and directly buy or sell an instrument.
Demo Account at Plus 500
Plus500, like many other brokers, offers a demo mode where you can familiarize yourself with how the platform works and trade CFDs using 200,000 virtual zlotys .
Setting up a demo account is incredibly easy. Simply go to the Plus500 home page ( here ) and click the “Start Trading” button in the top right corner.
Then simply select “demo mode” and enter your email address and password to go straight to the platform.
Demo Account Registration. Source: Plus500
In the platform view, you can switch between demo and real accounts using the button in the lower left corner.
Reviews of Plus500
On TrustPilot , the Plus500 broker has a rating of 4.1 out of 5, based on over 11,000 votes . In the Google Play Store, where the trading app has been downloaded over 10 million times, it is rated 4.3 out of 5 (over 102,000 reviews) . In the Apple App Store , the app has received 306 ratings from Polish users, with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 .
FAQ
Is trading in Plus500 free?
Plus500 does not charge account opening and maintenance fees, as well as deposits and withdrawals. In addition, traditional spreads are charged on CFD positions. You can read about Plus500 CFD fees here: https://www.plus500.com/pl-cy/help/feescharges?productType=CFD; in turn, here is information on fees with Plus500 Invest: https://www.plus500.com/en-CY/Invest/Help/FeesCharges
Is it safe in Plus500?
The Plus500 platform is regulated in various countries and is one of the longest-established brokers in the market.
How do I deposit funds into Plus500?
Go to the trading platform and find the deposit option on it. Choose one of your preferred payment methods (bank transfer, credit card, BLIK or payment gateways). On mobile devices, meanwhile, go to the "Funds" tab.
Is it possible to trade in Plus500 with a demo account?
Yes, Plus500 offers a demo account that is set up in seconds. All you have to do is enter your e-mail and create a password to trade virtual funds of 200k. You can also use the demo as a real account holder. You switch between the two from the platform.
Does Plus500 offer stock trading?
Plus500 has real stocks available through its Invest offering. A separate platform called just Plus500 Invest has been created for trading real stocks.
Plus500 cryptocurrency trading is possible?
Plus500 offers cryptocurrency instruments in the form of CFDs, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A CFD is just a contract, not an underlying instrument, so the customer does not acquire the cryptocurrency or the rights associated with it. However, he or she can use leverage and play on the downs and ups of the instrument in question.
What documents does Plus500 require for verification?
When opening a new account, the customer must verify his identity and residential address. This will require an identity document and a bank, card or utility bill statement to confirm the address.
Is Plus500 a regulated broker?
Yes, Plus500 is regulated and in multiple jurisdictions. It is licensed by respected regulators, including CySEC, ASIC and the FCA. European clients work with a Cyprus company licensed by the aforementioned CySEC.
Does Plus500 allow you to trade on indexes?
With Plus500 broker you can trade on the most popular stock indices from around the world, as well as sector indices bringing together popular companies from given industries into one instrument: technology, cannabis, or cryptocurrency, for example. Indexes are traded on the Plus500 CFD platform and are only available in the form of CFD instruments.
How long does Plus500 take to withdraw funds?
The processing time for a withdrawal order is, in most cases, one business day. The time it takes to receive the funds will depend on the payment method selected and the processing time of the third party.
