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Trading 212 Review for Beginners for 2023

Your expert
Adam N.
Fact checked by
Updated
1w ago
Personally tested Personally tested
Data-driven Data-driven
Independent Independent

Intro

Trading 212 is a global CFD and stock broker. You can also invest in (and trade) stocks and ETFs without any commission charged. We rate Trading 212 highly because commission-free trading is only available at a handful of brokers in Europe. Trading212 has a user-friendly mobile app and web trading platform, which makes it a good choice for beginners. It also has a demo account.

Snapshot of key data
🗺 Country of regulationUK, Bulgaria, Cyprus
💰 US stock feeCommission-free
💰 Inactivity fee chargedNo
💰 Withdrawal fee$0
💰 Minimum deposit$1
💵 Available base currenciesGBP, USD, EUR, CHF, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, CZK, RON, BGN, HUF
💵 Conversion fee of deposits in non-base currency0.50% for CFD and forex currency conversion and 0.15% mark-up for real stocks and ETFs
💳 Deposit with bank cardAvailable
🕖 Time to open an account1 day
🎮 Demo account providedYes
🛍️ Products offeredStock, ETF, CFD (forex, stock, ETF, index, commodity)
Fees
Deposit & Withdrawal
Safety

If you want more in-depth information about Trading 212, check out our detailed review!

If you are unsure what some of these financial terms mean, don't worry, we put together a short glossary at the end of the review for better understanding!

Trading 212 onboards clients from most European countries. However if you live in another country, you might need to join a waiting list first.

Can you open an account?

No, you can't open an account at Trading 212 if you live in the United States!
the United States

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If you can't open an account in your country, try our broker finder tool, where, after answering a few quick questions, we can show brokers available in your country that are the most suitable for you.

Trading 212 is considered reliable as it is regulated by the top-tier FCA.

Disclaimer: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

BrokerChooser score
4.5 4.5 /5
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Fees

Trading 212 offers commission-free stock and ETF trading, and there are also no fees for deposit, withdrawal or inactivity.

You can trade real stocks and ETFs if you open a so-called “Trading 212 Invest account.”

If you would rather trade CFDs or forex, you need to open a Trading212 CFD account. Learn about CFD and forex fees in our in-depth review of Trading212.

Trading 212 Invest trading fees
$2,000 trade (US stock)
$0.0
€2,000 trade (German stock)
$0.0
£2,000 trade (UK stock)
$0.0

Note there is a currency conversion fee of 0.15%, if your trade is not in the same currency as your account currency.

For example: If you buy $1000 worth of Apple or Tesla stock in dollars but your account currency is Euros, you’ll pay $1.5 in conversion fee.

Trading212 doesn’t charge any other non-trading fees.

Trading 212 non-trading fees
Withdrawal fee
$0
Deposit fee
$0
Inactivity fee
No
Account fee
No

Deposit & Withdrawal

Trading 212 supports the following account base currencies: GBP, USD, EUR, CHF, DKK, NOK, PLN, SEK, CZK, RON, BGN, HUF.

However, not all currencies are available in all countries. For example, only PLN and EUR are available in Poland.

Below you'll find all transaction methods available at Trading212.

Trading 212 deposit fees and options
Deposit/Withdrawal options Deposit fees Withdrawal fees
Bank transfer (also via Revolut and Wise) Free Free
Credit/Debit cards 0.70%* Free
Google Pay 0.70%* Free
PayPal 0.70%* Free
Skrill Apple Pay Free
Dotpay 0.70%* Free
Giropay 0.70%* Free
Carte Bleue 0.70%* Free
Direct eBanking 0.70%* Free
iDEAL 0.70%* Free

*The first €2000 deposit is free, no matter which method you used.

Safety

Trading 212 was established in 2004. The longer track record a broker has, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.

Trading 212 is regulated by the top-tier FCA and provides negative balance protection. These are great signs for its safety.

Could Trading212 improve its safety even further? We don’t think it’s problematic that Trading212 is not a bank and the company isn’t listed on any stock exchange. If it was, it would add another layer of protection though.

How you are protected

In the unlikely event of insolvency, you might be eligible for compensation from your country’s compensation scheme.

Investor protection at Trading 212
Country of clients Protection amount Regulator
UK £85,000 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
EEA 90% of your funds, max €20,000 Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
All other countries 90% of your funds, max €20,000 Bulgarian Financial Supervision Commission (FSC)

Glossary

Here is a quick glossary to help you with some terms in our review:

Inactivity fee: a fee that is charged when a customer has not done any buying or selling on their brokerage account for a specific amount of time determined by the brokerage.

Deposit fee: this is charged when you send money to your trading account at a broker. The fee may differ depending on the method of transfer (i.e. bank card, bank transfer, e-wallets, etc.).

Withdrawal fee: an amount you need to pay when you withdraw money from your trading account, e.g. to your bank account.

Regulators: these are established by governments or other organizations to oversee the functioning and fairness of financial markets, including markets, exchanges and firms. They also oversee that investors are not fooled by scams, and in case of wrongdoing, they try to provide some level of financial and legal backing.

Investor protection: this means that up to a certain limit, you get your money back if the broker goes into bankruptcy or commits fraud.

Non-trading fees: charges not directly related to trading, such as deposit/withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.

Trading fees: these are charged when you trade; for instance, in the form of a commission, spreads, financing rates, margin rates or a conversion fee.

BrokerChooser score
4.5 4.5 /5
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Where to find out more?

If you want to learn more about Trading 212, go to our detailed review.

Learn how you can open an account at Trading 212.

See if Trading 212 is good for beginner traders.

Read about Trading 212's fees in detail.

Learn more about Trading 212’s safety features.

You can find out more about investor protection in our dedicated article.

In our article on brokerage fees, you can learn what these fees mean and what they entail.

Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.

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Author of this article

Adam Nasli

Financial Wizard | Trading • Safety • Market Analysis

I bring extensive financial expertise as one of BrokerChooser's earliest team members. Personally, I tested nearly all 100+ brokers on our site, opening real-money accounts, executing trades, assessing customer services, and providing firsthand assessment. My professional background includes roles in the banking sector and a degree from Central European University, where I teach finance. My passions lies in in-depth research of the financial industry, building trading algorithms, and managing long-term investments.

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

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