WhichBrokerPromotions · verified August 2026
Broker Bonuses & Promotions (2026) — What They Are Really Worth
A bonus is a marketing cost the broker expects to recover from your trading. That does not make every offer bad — but it does mean the conditions matter more than the headline number. We list what each promotion actually gives you, who can claim it, and whether we would take it.
If you trade in the EU, UK or Australia, most of this page does not apply to you
Cash and non-cash trading bonuses are banned for retail clients under ESMA rules in the EU, by the FCA in the UK and by ASIC in Australia. The ban exists because deposit credit measurably pushes retail traders into larger positions than they intended.
So if a broker regulated in those markets offers you a deposit bonus, one of two things is true: you are being onboarded to an offshore entity with weaker protections, or the offer breaches the rules. Both are worth knowing before you deposit. In regulated markets the real value sits in structurally lower costs — zero commission, cashback and interest on idle cash — which is why those offers score highest here.
All offers, ranked
A standing pricing structure rather than a promotion — no commission below the monthly volume cap.
- Offered by
- XTB (FCA, KNF, CySEC and DFSA entities)
- Available in
- All XTB markets, including the EU and UK
The conditions that matter
- Above €100,000 of monthly turnover the fee is 0.2% (minimum €10)
- A 0.5% currency conversion cost applies when trading outside your account currency
Our take: This is what a legitimate "bonus" looks like in a regulated market: not credit, just structurally lower cost. For most retail investors it is worth more than any deposit bonus, because it applies to every trade, forever.
Idle cash above a threshold earns a rate benchmarked to the central bank rate, in several currencies.
- Offered by
- Interactive Brokers (regulated entity depends on your country)
- Available in
- Most IBKR markets, including the EU and UK
The conditions that matter
- A minimum balance applies before interest accrues
- The rate follows benchmark rates, so it falls when they fall
- IBKR Lite accounts earn a lower rate than IBKR Pro
Our take: Not marketed as a bonus, but for a funded account it is often worth more per year than any deposit credit on this page — and there are no strings attached to it.
A two-tier credit bonus added on top of your deposit as tradable credit, not withdrawable cash.
- Offered by
- XM Global (offshore entity)
- Available in
- Selected countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East
- Not available in
- EU, UK and Australia — banned for retail clients under ESMA, FCA and ASIC rules
The conditions that matter
- The bonus is credit that supports your margin — it is not cash you can withdraw
- Withdrawing your own deposit typically removes a proportional part of the credit
- Bonus credit is usually forfeited on account inactivity
- Country eligibility changes; confirm on XM’s own bonus terms before depositing
Our take: The most substantial deposit bonus among mainstream brokers, and genuinely useful as extra margin buffer — but treat it as risk headroom, never as profit. It disappears the moment you withdraw.
Real share ownership with no dealing commission.
- Offered by
- eToro (FCA, CySEC and ASIC entities)
- Available in
- All eToro markets, including the EU and UK
The conditions that matter
- A $5 flat withdrawal fee applies
- Accounts are USD-denominated, so non-USD deposits incur conversion costs
- Applies to real stock positions, not to leveraged CFD positions
Our take: Genuinely free on the trade itself; the cost shows up in currency conversion and withdrawals. Best value if you fund in dollars and withdraw rarely.
A standing discount on the spot fee, plus lower tiers as your 30-day volume rises.
- Offered by
- Binance (entity and availability depend on your country)
- Available in
- Where Binance operates; the EU is served by its MiCA-regulated arm
The conditions that matter
- You must hold BNB and enable "pay fees with BNB"
- Referral and VIP tiers stack differently — check the current fee schedule
- Availability of individual products differs sharply by country
Our take: A real, permanent cost reduction rather than a promotion. Worth enabling on day one if you trade spot at all regularly.
Trading credit granted after account verification, without funding the account first.
- Offered by
- XM Global (offshore entity)
- Available in
- A narrow list of countries — historically Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Brunei, with $50 in some
- Not available in
- EU, UK, Australia and most other markets
The conditions that matter
- Full identity verification is required before the credit appears
- Profits made on the credit are withdrawable only after a minimum traded volume
- One bonus per person, household and IP address
- The eligible-country list changes often — check before signing up
Our take: The honest use of a no-deposit bonus is as a free trial of live conditions, not as a way to make money. The volume needed to withdraw any profit is high relative to $30.
A rewards balance that accrues from your trading activity and can be converted to reduce real trading costs.
- Offered by
- Exness (entity depends on your country of residence)
- Available in
- Most Exness markets outside the EU/UK retail regime
- Not available in
- EU and UK retail clients, where incentive schemes are restricted
The conditions that matter
- Value depends on your traded volume and instruments
- Not a deposit bonus — Exness deliberately does not run one
Our take: Cashback is the honest form of a broker incentive: it reduces a cost you were already paying instead of dangling credit to make you trade more. Modest, but it does not distort behaviour.
Commission rebates once monthly traded volume passes a qualifying threshold.
- Offered by
- Pepperstone (ASIC, FCA, CySEC, DFSA and BaFin entities)
- Available in
- Most Pepperstone markets, subject to qualification
The conditions that matter
- Requires substantial monthly volume — not relevant to occasional traders
- Rebate levels are negotiated per account; ask the broker directly
Our take: The regulated market’s answer to a bonus: a volume discount, disclosed and legal. Only worth chasing if your volume already qualifies.
Points accrue per lot traded and convert into bonus credit at rising tiers.
- Offered by
- XM Global (offshore entity)
- Available in
- Where XM bonus programmes are permitted
- Not available in
- EU, UK and Australia
The conditions that matter
- Points expire after a period of inactivity
- Redemption value improves with tier, so occasional traders gain little
Our take: Only meaningful if you already trade high volume with XM. Never a reason to trade more than your plan calls for — that is exactly the behaviour loyalty schemes are designed to produce.
A rotating set of vouchers and fee coupons unlocked by depositing or completing first-trade tasks.
- Offered by
- Bybit (availability depends on your country)
- Available in
- Most Bybit markets
- Not available in
- The United States and UK retail clients, among others
The conditions that matter
- Rewards are usually trading-fee coupons or bonus credit, not withdrawable cash
- Coupons expire quickly — often within days of being claimed
- The offer mix changes constantly; verify on the rewards hub before depositing
Our take: Fine as a small discount on fees you would pay anyway. The expiry clocks are designed to push you into trading sooner than you planned — claim them only when you were going to trade regardless.
Mystery-box style rewards and fee rebates tied to first deposit and trading tasks.
- Offered by
- OKX (OKX Europe operates under MiCA in the EU)
- Available in
- Most OKX markets
- Not available in
- The United States and several other jurisdictions
The conditions that matter
- Reward values are variable and often small
- Most rewards are fee credits with an expiry date
- Terms differ between the global platform and OKX Europe
Our take: Treat the headline reward figures as a marketing ceiling rather than an expectation. The fee discounts are the part with real value.
How we rate an offer
Our rating is not the size of the bonus. It reflects what you keep after the conditions: whether the money is withdrawable, what volume you must trade to release it, how quickly it expires, and whether claiming it pushes you into trading you would not otherwise do. A permanent cost reduction beats a large one-off credit almost every time.
Frequently asked questions
Why can I not get a deposit bonus from an EU or UK broker?
Because regulators banned them. ESMA prohibited cash and non-cash incentives for retail CFD clients across the EU, and the FCA and ASIC did the same in the UK and Australia. The rule exists because bonus credit reliably encourages larger positions and more trading than the client planned.
Is a no-deposit bonus really free money?
No. It is trading credit, and the profit made on it usually becomes withdrawable only after you trade a substantial volume. Treat it as a free trial of live conditions rather than as income.
Can I withdraw a deposit bonus?
Almost never. Deposit bonuses are typically credit that supports your margin, not cash in your balance, and withdrawing your own funds usually removes a proportional part of the credit.
Which offer is genuinely the best?
For most people it is not a bonus at all: commission-free investing, cashback on costs you already pay, or interest on idle cash are worth more over a year than a one-off credit with conditions attached — and they never push you into trading more.