Introduction
A forex account, also known as the foreign exchange account, is used to hold and trade different currencies. When a trader opens an account with a forex broker, they will have to fund his account with his home currency, and then they get to buy or sell foreign currencies using that money. Today, opening a forex account and funding that account is a pretty seamless process. All you need to do is to choose a reliable and credible Forex broker, open an account with them, and fund it to start trading. Forex brokers provide many options to fund a trading account. Let’s look at those methods in this article.
Funding methods in forex
To attract traders, forex brokers offer a wide range of payment options for both deposits and withdrawals. They are categorized into the following methods.
Offline payments
Offline payment options involve traditional means of funding trading account which includes:
- Local deposit
- Western union
- Bank wire
- Cheque
These methods are best used when you want to trade in huge amounts of money. However, before you transfer this large amount of money, make sure that you know the broker well enough and that you trust them completely. Payment via Bank wire and other methods are relatively more expensive and take at least six days or more. The reason for this method being expensive is because it involves bank transaction fees and currency exchange services fees. These are additional costs which are levied when you make payments.
The disadvantage of using the above method is that if you fall prey to a scam, it will get hard to get your money back. The broker will provide you with the transaction ID, which is the only proof of payment.
eWallet payments
eWallet payments are getting more and more popular nowadays due to their ease of use, relatively lower transaction costs, and faster execution. In fact, most brokers offer instant deposits and withdrawals with eWallets. Some of the widely used eWallet funding methods include:
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paypal
- CashU
- Webmoney
Using the eWallet payment method is often better than using offline payment methods. eWallet service providers offer higher protection of trading account, which means if you want a refund of your deposit, your eWallet can get the job done for you easily. It acts as a medium between the merchant (the forex broker) and the customer (the trader). Forex brokers also offer special bonuses when you use your eWallet very frequently or make transactions with huge volume.
Debit/Credit cards
Funding your trading account using debit/credit cards is another popular way for traders to deposit instantly. However, the bank will enforce a limit on deposit and withdrawal based on the trader’s capacity. If you notice the broker is carrying out any malicious activity, you can take back all your money using a facility called ‘chargeback.’ Note that a ‘chargeback’ does not guarantee your money back. Therefore traders need to be cautious when funding their account using debit/credit cards. Even the credit card details will be exposed, of course, when using this method for transactions.
Best way to fund your trading account
After looking at different funding methods, eWallet payments turn out to be the best option for funding for the following reasons:
- Lower transaction cost (relatively) – Deposits and withdrawals can be done almost cost-free, which are usually covered in spreads charged by the broker.
- Safe – eWallets ensure the safety of your money, with great transparency.
- Fast execution – Deposits and withdrawals are faster via eWallets as it is instant in most of the cases. You can also link your debit or credit card to your eWallet and use them.
This covers most of the ways through which you can fund your trading account. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below. Cheers!