Is Pepperstone legit and safe?

By Gerald Louw · Last verified: July 2026 · How we verify

Legit — one of the cleaner records

Pepperstone is a genuinely multi-licensed group with one of the cleaner enforcement records we have checked. We verified two of its licences directly on the registers on 12 July 2026: FCA (Pepperstone Limited, FRN 684312) and CMA Kenya (Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited, licence 128) — making it one of very few international brokers with a real Kenyan licence. Note: it holds no South African (FSCA) licence, so SA clients are onboarded elsewhere in the group.

Who you actually contract with

▸UK: Pepperstone Limited — FCA FRN 684312, verified on the FCA register 12 July 2026 (screenshot below).
▸Kenya: Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited — CMA licence 128, on the CMA’s official licensee list (verified 12 July 2026; screenshot below).
▸Cyprus: Pepperstone EU Limited — CySEC CIF 388/20 — verified on the CySEC register 12 July 2026.
▸Group also states ASIC (Australia), BaFin, DFSA and SCB licences — we have not yet register-verified those individually.
▸No FSCA licence: South African clients are typically onboarded to a non-SA group entity — confirm which one before funding.

The register, not our word for it

FCA Financial Services Register search for reference number 684312, showing Pepperstone Limited — FCA Financial Services Register, captured 12 July 2026: FRN 684312 — Pepperstone Limited. Status verified as Authorised on the firm record.

CMA Kenya official licensee list showing Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited, licence 128 — CMA Kenya’s official licensee list, captured 12 July 2026: Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited — licence 128.

Verified findings — with sources

No regulator fines or enforcement actions surfaced against Pepperstone in our July 2026 sweep — a genuinely rare clean sheet. Press reports note a 2023 self-reported compliance matter to ASIC resolved with client compensation, which we cite as reported rather than as a regulator action.
The FCA register lists a name-alike entry ("PepperStone VIP / EMC Capitals") — an imposter using the brand, not the real firm. Verify FRN 684312 rather than trusting a name.

We publish only findings we verified against regulators' own releases, registers, or the broker's own disclosures — and we name the source. Unverified claims circulating online are excluded.

What's genuinely good

FCA and CMA Kenya licences verified by us on the registers
Clean enforcement record across our sweeps
Genuine Kenyan local entity — rare among international brokers

Before any money moves

No South African licence — SA clients should confirm which group entity onboards them and what recourse applies
Name-alike imposters exist ("PepperStone VIP") — only use the official pepperstone.com site

Run a live check on any broker Read our full Pepperstone review

Frequently asked questions

Is Pepperstone regulated?

Yes — we verified Pepperstone Limited on the FCA register (FRN 684312) and Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited on the CMA Kenya licensee list (licence 128) on 12 July 2026. The group also states ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA and SCB licences.

Is Pepperstone good for South African traders?

It is a legitimate broker, but it holds no FSCA licence — South Africans are onboarded to a non-SA entity, without local recourse. Kenyan traders get a genuinely local CMA-licensed entity, which is a stronger position.

Check another broker

Broker not listed? Our free Broker Checker runs a live regulatory and reputation scan on any broker in about thirty seconds.