Interactive Brokers combines global securities dealing, exchange-traded derivatives and currency trading in a multi-currency account. Its platform range extends from mobile investing to Trader Workstation and programmable APIs. This reference uses UK account terms and commission schedules, with the US-only Lite plan identified separately. Product permissions and the affiliate carrying the assets determine the available service.[7][12][13][2][15]
Accounts & headline costs
Sections ↑Account choices
| Account or plan | Access and structure | Published minimum or ongoing charge |
|---|---|---|
| Cash account | Fund purchases with settled cash; no margin borrowing | Standard account minimum and maintenance fee: US$0Source 8Source 2 |
| Margin account | Borrow against eligible collateral; short selling and additional derivatives permissions | Interest on borrowing; eligibility and margin requirements applySource 8 |
| UK Stocks and Shares ISA / JISA | Cash-only investment wrappers; GBP funding | Adult ISA £3/month activity minimum; JISA £1/month; no deposit minimumSource 9 |
| UK SIPP access | Via an accepted FCA-authorised SIPP administrator and a trading sub-account | Guide lists US$5,000 initial funding and US$10/month brokerage minimum, plus applicable feesSource 7 |
| US IBKR Lite | Eligible US retail clients; commission-free qualifying US-listed stock/ETF trades | Other products and specified trading conditions have separate chargesSource 2 |
| IBKR Pro | Fixed or tiered commissions; broad trading functionality | US-stock trading is charged under the Pro schedule belowSource 2 |
Products & platforms
Sections ↑Products and execution routes
| Product family | What the service covers |
|---|---|
| Shares, ETFs, bonds and funds | Global exchange access and investment holdings; availability depends on residence, permissions and product eligibilitySource 7 |
| Listed options and futures | Exchange-traded contracts with separate commission and margin schedulesSource 4Source 5 |
| Spot currencies | Currency transactions priced by monthly notional volume; automatic conversion has its own fee modelSource 6 |
| CFDs for eligible accounts | Share, index, metal and forex CFDs; the published share-CFD range exceeds 8,500Source 14 |
Platform and tool reference
| Service | Principal functions |
|---|---|
| Trader Workstation | Multi-leg options, algorithms, scanners, real-time margin/P&L, scenario analysis and portfolio risk controlsSource 12 |
| IBKR Desktop / Client Portal | Desktop multi-asset trading; browser account administration, trading, reporting and fundingSource 1 |
| IBKR Mobile / GlobalTrader | Mobile account access and trading; GlobalTrader focuses on straightforward global share investingSource 1 |
| APIs | Web, TWS, Excel and FIX interfaces; TWS programming includes Python, Java, C++ and C#Source 13 |
| Research and practice | TWS fundamentals and third-party research; paper trading includes US$1m in virtual fundsSource 12 |
| FXTrader | Streaming currency quotes, orders, positions, average prices and P&L in a dedicated workspaceSource 14 |
Fees & holding costs
Sections ↑Representative commissions from the UK schedules
| Market / route | Rate | Minimum and material conditions |
|---|---|---|
| US shares: Pro tiered | US$0.0035/share | US$0.35/order at the first monthly volume tier, up to 300,000 shares; third-party fees applySource 3 |
| US shares: Pro fixed | US$0.005/share | US$1/order; regulatory charges can applySource 3 |
| UK GBP shares: tiered / fixed SmartRouting | 0.05% / 0.05% of trade value | £1 / £3 minimum; tiered quote is the first £40m monthly volume tierSource 3 |
| US options | US$0.65/contract | US$1/order; first 10,000 contracts/month and premium at least US$0.10; exchange and other fees extraSource 4 |
| US standard futures / futures options | US$0.85/contract | First 1,000 contracts/month; exchange/regulatory fees extra; product-specific schedules differSource 5 |
| Spot FX: first US$1bn monthly notional | 0.20 basis points = 0.002% | US$2/order minimum; higher-volume tiers reduce the rateSource 6 |
| Automatic currency conversion | Typically 0.03% exchange-rate adjustment | No separate commission on the auto-conversion transactionSource 6 |
FX conversion: why the minimum commission matters
An exposure fee can apply to accounts presenting unusually high downside risk. It is calculated daily and deducted on the following trading day; a deduction that creates a margin deficiency can lead to liquidation. Where both the overnight inventory fee and exposure fee apply, IBKR charges the greater. Paying the exposure fee neither insures the account nor extinguishes a deficit owed to the broker.[18]
Execution & trading rules
Sections ↑US equity session reference
IBKR describes real-time liquidation when an account has a margin deficiency, rather than an ordinary margin call granting time to send funds. Notifications are on a best-efforts basis and may not arrive before liquidation. Monitoring the live margin display therefore matters independently of whether an email warning has been received.[17]
Deposits, withdrawals & transfers
Sections ↑Cash administration
| Item | Published terms |
|---|---|
| Deposits | Bank transfer and eligible local payment methods; Client Portal supplies currency-specific instructions. External bank fees may applySource 11 |
| Withdrawals | Two free requests each calendar month. Subsequent GBP withdrawal: £7 wire or £1 BACS; subsequent EUR: €8 wire or €1 SEPASource 10 |
| Platform and custody | TWS has no platform or custody fee; optional data and research subscriptions can add costsSource 12Source 7 |
| Leveraged positions | Margin borrowing incurs interest; CFD financing is product-specific and applies separately from execution commissionSource 8Source 14 |
Protection & regulation
Sections ↑Selected legal entities
| Entity | Jurisdiction / reference | Evidence position |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers LLC | United States; FINRA CRD 36418 | Current BrokerCheck firm record inspected; CRD 36418 identifies the US broker-dealer.Source 16 |
| Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited | United Kingdom; FCA 208159 | Reference disclosed by the company; consult the live FCA register for current permissions.Source 15 |
Protection follows the asset holder
| Assets held at | Published arrangements |
|---|---|
| IBUK | Client money segregated under FCA client-asset rules; eligible shortfalls can fall within FSCS protectionSource 15 |
| IBLLC securities account | SIPC: US$500,000 maximum, including US$250,000 cash. Stated excess policy: additional US$30m, including US$900,000 cash, with US$150m aggregate capSource 15 |
| IBLLC commodity futures account | Separate CFTC customer-fund segregation; SIPC does not cover this account categorySource 15 |
Opening an account & support
Sections ↑IBUK encourages a Client Portal WebTicket through Help → Support Center → Message Center, or email to [email protected] with COMPLAINT in the subject. It normally acknowledges within five business days, updates unresolved cases after four weeks and aims to issue its final response within eight weeks. Eligible customers can approach the Financial Ombudsman Service after an unsatisfactory final response or eight weeks without one, normally within six months of the final response.[19]
Company background & evidence
Sections ↑Interactive Brokers at a glance
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage history | 1993; predecessor business established in 1977 | Source 1 |
| Group headquarters | Greenwich, Connecticut, United States | Source 1 |
| Listed parent | Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.; Nasdaq: IBKR | Source 1 |
| Market access | 170+ markets; 29 trading currencies | Source 1 |
| Client accounts | 5.185 million as at 2 June 2026 | Source 1 |
| Client equity | US$903.3bn, Q2 2026 | Source 1 |
| Group equity capital | US$22.3bn on the fact sheet checked 9 October 2026 | Source 1 |
- Headquarters
- Greenwich, Connecticut, United States (group headquarters)
- Founded
- Brokerage operations began in 1993; predecessor organisation dates to 1977
Legal entities & licences
These are source-dated records, not a blanket assessment of the broker. Read each issuer, identifier, status and scope together.
Interactive Brokers LLC
| Issuer & identifier | Recorded status | Date & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority36418 | Registered | Checked 9 Oct 2026Current FINRA BrokerCheck report identifies CRD 36418 and lists FINRA approval within current registrations. This is broker-dealer membership/registration, not a bank licence.Source 16Source 15 |
Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited
United KingdomSource 15
| Issuer & identifier | Recorded status | Date & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Conduct Authority208159 | Not verified | Checked 9 Oct 2026Licence number and entity are disclosed by the company. The company discloses this reference. Consult the live regulator register for current status and detailed permissions.Source 15 |
Sources & further reading
- IBKR fact sheet: history, global reach and Q2 2026 figures Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Compare IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- UK commission schedule: stocks, ETFs and warrants Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- UK commission schedule: options Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- UK commission schedule: futures and futures options Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- UK commission schedule: spot currencies Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- UK account guide Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Configuring cash and margin accounts Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Stocks and Shares ISA and Junior ISA Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Other fees, including withdrawals Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Fund your account Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Trader Workstation features and research Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- IBKR trading API solutions Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Contracts for difference: products and trading tools Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- IBUK and IBLLC customer asset protection disclosure Interactive Brokers · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- BrokerCheck report: Interactive Brokers LLC, CRD 36418 FINRA · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Margin calls and real-time liquidation Interactive Brokers · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Exposure-fee and margin requirements Interactive Brokers · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- IBUK complaints procedure Interactive Brokers · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
This profile reports dated public information, including broker-published services and terms. It does not independently test or guarantee execution, pricing or withdrawals. Inclusion is not an endorsement. Permissions and protections apply only to the named legal entity, service and client category; check the current official records and your contract.