City Index minimum deposit amount
The minimum deposit at City Index is $100.
Check the following comparison table to see how City Index stacks up against similar brokers when it comes to minimum deposits:
| City Index | CMC Markets | ETX Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $100 | $0 | $100 |
The minimum deposit means that you will first need to transfer this amount to your brokerage account from your bank account in order to start trading. It is sometimes called an initial deposit or funding.
Beyond the required minimum deposit, there are a couple of other factors to consider when you are about to open an account at City Index. Here are the main pros and cons when it comes to depositing at City Index:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Credit/Debit card deposit | None |
| • No deposit fee | |
| • Several account base currencies |
Why does City Index require a minimum deposit?
Online brokers sometimes require a minimum deposit in order to cover their initial costs associated with creating a new account and to ensure their profitability. The higher the amount you deposited, the higher the chance for you to trade more and generate bigger profits for the broker.
In some cases, the very high minimum deposit (like the £1 million amount at the VIP account of Saxo Bank) is there to differentiate the level of services they offer you.
City Index minimum deposit
City Index deposit fees and deposit methods
City Index does not charge a deposit fee. This is great because the broker won't deduct anything from your deposits and you only have to calculate with the costs charged by the bank / third-party you send the money with. If you want to know more about City Index fees, check out the fee chapter of our City Index review.
While there is no deposit fee at City Index, the available deposit methods are also important for you. See how City Index deposit methods compare with similar online brokers:
| City Index | CMC Markets | ETX Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic wallets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The average transfer times for the different methods are:
- Wire transfer: 2-3 days
- Credit / debit card and online wallets: instant or a few hours
A minor issue with depositing money to City Index is that based on our experience it's not user-friendly compared to similar brokers. This means either that the interface is not user-friendly or that figuring out where and how you have to make the transfer is a bit complicated.
Find out more about depositing to City Index on their official website:
City Index minimum deposit
Deposit currencies
Each trading account has a base currency, which means that the broker will hold your deposited money in that currency. At some brokers, you can also have more trading accounts with different base currencies. For example, at IG, it is possible to have both EUR and USD-based accounts.
Why does this matter? A currency conversion fee will be charged if you deposit in a different currency than the base currency of the target trading account. It's likely not a big deal but something you should be aware of.
Some online brokers offer trading accounts only in the major currencies (i.e. USD, GBP, EUR and sometimes JPY) and some support a lot more than that.
| City Index | CMC Markets | ETX Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of base currencies | 8 | 10 | 2 |
City Index supports the major currencies like USD, GBP and EUR, but does not support minor currencies. If you would deposit in a major currency anyway, then the online broker won't have to convert it. However, if you use a minor currency that is not supported, City Index will convert your deposits and you will be charged a currency conversion fee.
A convenient way to save on the currency conversion fee if you wish to fund your brokerage account from a less common currency (or just a currency different from your existing bank account) can be to open a multi-currency digital bank account. At Revolut or Transferwise the account opening only takes a few minutes after which you can upload your existing currency into your new account, exchange it in-app at great rates, then deposit it into your brokerage account for free or cheap.
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City Index minimum deposit
Steps of sending the minimum deposit
The specific process of sending your minimum deposit to City Index might vary slightly from the following, but generally the process involves the following steps:
Step 1: Open your broker account
At most brokers, you can open your trading account online. To open an account, you have to provide your personal details, like your date of birth or employment status, and there is also usually a test about your financial knowledge. The last step of the account opening is the verification of your identity and residency. For this verification you usually have to upload a copy of your ID card and a document that validates your proof of residence, for example, a bank statement.
If you don't know which broker is suitable for you, use our broker selector tool.
Step 2: Make the deposit
First you have to sign in to your already opened trading account and find the depositing interface. After this, you select one of the deposit methods the broker supports, enter the deposit amount and make the deposit.
The deposit methods can be one or more of the following:
- Bank transfer (sometimes called wire transfer): you have to add your bank account number in the deposit interface. The bank account has to be in your name. After this, you need to start a bank transfer from your bank. The broker will give you a reference number that you'll have to enter as a comment in your transaction. This will allow them to identify your deposit.
- Credit or debit cards: just as with a normal online purchase, you are required to enter the regular card details. However, unlike any other online purchase, it's required to use a card that's in your name. In some cases, like with IC Markets, you'll also need to verify your card by scanning it and sending it to the broker. This is yet another anti-money laundering measure on their end. Card payment is usually the preferred and most convenient way of depositing. On the other hand, some brokers define a cap for card deposits, so for a larger amount you might have to use the bank transfer.
- Online wallets like Paypal, Skrill, Neteller, etc.: it works just like any other online purchase. The interface of the wallet will pop up where you'll have to enter your credentials (username and password) and carry out your transaction.
Step 3: Review your transaction
Depending on the method you chose, it might take a couple of days for your deposit to show up on your brokerage account. When it happens, the brokers usually send you an email to confirm the receipt of the deposit.
