- Jump to:
- Regulations
- Trading Instruments
- Trading Platforms
- Payment Methods
- Account Types
- Support
- Conclusion
FBS is an online broker platform specialising in forex trading. The website is owned and operated by FBS Markets Inc, a company based in Belize. FBS was launched in 2009 and, since then, it claims to have served up to 4 million traders. The website is available in more than 120 countries and has received numerous awards and accolades over the years.
By using FBS, you will have the opportunity to trade forex in a professional and precise manner. The service is suitable for both beginners and experts. Novice traders will have an abundance of educational material to improve their skills and understanding of the market.
| General Information about FBS | |
|---|---|
| Min. Deposit | Cent accounts: $10; AU$50 (ASIC accounts) |
| Supported Languages | Arabic, Bengali, German, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, Chinese (Mandarin) |
| Supported Currencies | AUD, EUR, GBP, USD |
| Website | https://fbs.com/ |
| Phone Number | +357 22 010970 |
| Support Email | support@fbs.com |
| Headquarters Address | 9725, Fabers Road Extension, Unit 1, Belize City, Belize |
Regulation
FBS is regulated by the International Financial Services Commission of Belize. The IFSC is the main financial regulatory body of Belize, a small country located in South America. It is responsible for overseeing all financial companies and brokers operating within Belize’s jurisdiction. Since its foundation in 1999, this governmental institution has licensed many brokers and exchanges. To date, companies and individuals licensed by the IFSC have maintained an excellent track record and abide by the agency’s Code of Conduct.
This trusted brokerage also serves customers from major European markets under the supervision of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). The CySEC licence enables the broker to accept trades from all member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).
In 2020, FBS expanded its operations to two new markets after acquiring local licences from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). The trading services provided by the broker are off-limits to clients who reside in any of the following countries: Iran, Israel, Myanmar, the UK and the USA. Customers looking to sign up from EU member states must do so through the .eu domain.
Trading Instruments
At FBS, users have a variety of instruments at their disposal that they can utilize to engage in online trading. Contracts for difference (CFDs) are available for forex currency pairs, commodities like precious metals and crude oil, stocks, and indices. The broker also caters to the needs of cryptocurrency investors with a varied selection of crypto CFDs. Customers can count on fast order execution and can anticipate no requotes whatsoever. FBS belongs to the category of No Dealing Desk (NDD) brokers and works with multiple liquidity providers, giving traders direct access to interbank prices.Forex Trading
Forex, an abbreviation of foreign exchange, is the largest and most liquid market in the world. It is a completely decentralized market that operates through a network of banks and financial institutions. Currency trading has been around for decades, and in the information age it has become larger than ever before. Trillions of U.S. dollars are exchanged daily, and the annual volume of the forex market exceeds the GDP of the United States.
FBS offers you the chance to participate in this massive venture by allowing you to trade more than 30 different currency pairs, including majors like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY. Traders can also dabble in minor pairs such as EUR/GBP, EUR/AUD, AUD/CAD, and GBP/AUD. Customers with a higher risk tolerance can diversify their investment portfolios with volatile exotic pairs, including CNH/JPY, EUR/TRY, USD/BRL, and USD/SGD.
Spreads can be fixed or variable, depending on the type of account you open. Trading currency pairs with no spreads is also possible if you register a Zero Spread account, in which case a nominal commission per lot applies instead.
Commodities Trading
Precious metals are some of the most sought-after hard commodities. They have high market capitalizations, and investing in them can be a lucrative way to earn a profit. FBS allows you to trade several precious metals, including gold, silver, palladium, and platinum, depending on the type of account you open.
Commodity traders can go long or short at highly competitive prices, but the exact spreads are commodity-specific. The minimum volume for trading gold and silver against the US dollar is fixed at 0.10 lots. Apart from precious metals, FBS also offers trading in a limited range of energy products, including Brent crude oil (XBR/USD), natural gas (XNG/USD), and West Texas Intermediate crude oil (XTI/USD).
The broker imposes no commissions on commodity trades conducted via the MetaTrader 4 platform and instead profits from the spreads. We did not spot any agricultural products, such as wheat, cocoa, or soybeans, on the list of available markets, but hopefully FBS will add them in the future. Lot sizes vary across the different types of hard commodities.
EU retail customers can increase their exposure with maximum leverage of up to 1:10 for crude oil, silver, and natural gas, and up to 1:20 for gold. The leverage caps for traders based outside the EU are significantly higher, ranging from 1:50 all the way up to 1:3,000.
Stock Trading
At FBS, traders have the opportunity to speculate on the rising or declining stock prices of more than 130 major companies operating in the North American and European markets, including heavyweights such as Walmart, Twitter, Disney, Facebook, Porsche, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Minimum spreads range from 1 to 100 points, depending on the stocks you trade.
In addition, the brokerage charges a 0.7% commission, on top of the spread, on all open stock positions. The commission is calculated on the order value, which in turn depends on the contract size, the opening price, and the trade volume expressed in lots. Residents of the EU who register with FBS can leverage their stock trades at a maximum ratio of 1:5, while customers based outside of Europe can benefit from leverage of up to 1:100.
Indice Trading
FBS offers a somewhat limited selection of stock indices, allowing customers to profit by speculating on rising or falling index prices. The brokerage provides Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on roughly a dozen indices at the time of publication, including the Australia 200 Index, Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, UK 100, and the France Stock Market Index (FR40).
Index spreads typically range from 14 to 1,800, and no commission is charged on trades executed through the MT4 platform. Customers can trade during each index’s main market hours. Index trading is available only on business days, as the markets close for the weekend. To protect EU retail traders from excessive risk, FBS enforces leverage caps of 1:20 for major indices like the US100 and 1:10 for non-major indices like the ES35.
Crypto Trading
FBS provides customers with a wide variety of tradable cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Monero, Ripple, Stellar, and Solana. Crypto trading at FBS is available only through MetaTrader 5 or the broker’s proprietary platform, FBS Trader. Both platforms offer more than one hundred cryptocurrency pairs and coins.
The brokerage allows you to trade crypto coins against each other, against fiat currencies such as USD, EUR, AUD, and GBP, and against precious metals like gold and silver. However, if you are new to crypto trading, we recommend using FBS Trader, as it is significantly more user-friendly than MetaTrader 5. Retail customers from Europe can leverage their crypto positions at a maximum ratio of 1:2, while traders who open professional accounts have access to a higher leverage of 1:5.
Trading platform
Platforms |
PC / MAC |
Smartphones |
Tablets |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetaTrader 5 |
| Trading Information | |
|---|---|
| Trading Platforms | MetaTrader 5 |
| Demo Account | |
| Hedging | |
| Scalping | |
| US Traders | |
| Arabic Traders | |
At FBS, you can engage in a variety of trades by using MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or MetaTrader 5 (MT5), two third-party platforms developed by the Cyprus-based software company MetaQuotes. You can either install your chosen version on a desktop computer or use the browser-based WebTrader, if you prefer. Trading on the move is also possible via native mobile apps compatible with iOS and Android devices. Whichever option you choose, you can count on optimal trading speed and high efficiency.
MetaTrader 4
Using MetaTrader 4 (MT4), you will have access to more than 40 different tradable assets, including currency pairs, CFDs and metals, alongside low spreads. This platform is compatible with several operating systems, such as Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. It also has the option to manage multiple accounts at the same time via the Multiterminal programme.
You can download the desktop version of MT4 straight from the brokerage’s website. MetaTrader 4 is more suitable for rookies and is equipped with various helpful features, including single-click trading and embedded news. Platform users have the opportunity to create, purchase and implement expert advisors. These trading ‘robots’ can monitor your preferred market based on preset parameters and automatically open positions when they identify favourable market conditions.
The platform supports several types of pending orders, including buy limit, sell limit, buy stop and sell stop. It allows you to hedge your positions and supports VPS services. MT4 is also great for performing technical analysis, as it comes with 50 technical indicators and various charting tools, enabling users to plan their trading strategies ahead.
MetaTrader 5
MetaTrader 5 comes with its own unique advantages. For starters, you will have at your disposal three different chart types and numerous technical analysis tools. The platform supports 90 technical indicators. Additionally, you can benefit from optional micro-lot accounts and the hedging of positions. It also gives you continuous access to VPS services.
The MT5 platform can be downloaded on four different operating systems, namely Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. It is worth pointing out that this piece of software is more advanced since it supports a broader range of analytical tools and financial instruments, cryptocurrencies included. MT5 also provides a wider choice from 21 timeframes and six types of pending orders, including buy stop limit and sell stop limit. The built-in economic calendar facilitates detailed fundamental analysis based on the latest economic news events.
WebTrader
FBS customers who insist on enjoying greater flexibility can conveniently execute their trades via MetaQuotes’ browser-based terminal, which does not require additional downloads. WebTrader offers roughly the same functionalities as the downloadable versions of MT4 and MT5, the chief difference being you can use it on any desktop device.
Registered customers need only enter their existing FBS login credentials and they are good to go. The browser-based platform allows you to trade currency pairs, indices, stocks and commodities. Similar to the downloadable software, WebTrader supports one-click trading, chart trading with different timeframes and various tools for technical analysis such as the abovementioned technical indicators.
FBS Trader
Additionally, the broker offers an award-winning app compatible with Android 5.0 and iOS 12.0. FBS Trader was named the best mobile trading platform at the 2020 Smart Vision Investment Expo, which is hardly surprising given the numerous benefits it offers. It covers more than 150 financial instruments across different categories such as stocks, foreign exchange, indices and hard commodities.
The proprietary app is highly intuitive and powerful. The interface is simplified to accommodate traders of all experience levels. This lightweight software gives users access to real-time statistics via price charts and enables them to modify their orders with a few taps. Multilingual live chat assistance is available around the clock. Professional traders who install the app can activate the cashback feature to receive up to 20% of the spread for each trading position they open.
Payment methods
Traders who register live accounts with FBS can fund them with a wide range of secure payment solutions, including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Neteller, Sticpay and Skrill. Deposits initiated via cards and virtual wallets take place in real time, and the funds will instantly hit your live balance. The broker does not impose additional charges on depositing customers.
Wire transfer deposits are also supported, but you must allow 3 to 4 business days for the funds to arrive in your FBS account. Deposits start at as little as $1, but the exact minimums vary depending on the type of account you open. Customers who set up ECN accounts, for example, are bound by minimum deposit requirements of $1,000.
Most available account types support two base currencies, namely USD and EUR. Traders who transact in their national currencies may incur conversion fees. Those who set up crypto accounts can deposit and withdraw in USDT as their base currency. Speaking of withdrawals, you can initiate them with roughly the same range of payment solutions, including cards, wire transfers and digital wallets.
Unlike deposits, which are largely instant, withdrawals from your FBS account require more time to process, but you can generally anticipate receiving your funds within no more than 2 business days. Customers who register through the .com domain may have to wait between 7 and 10 business days when they cash out via wire transfers. Minimum withdrawals start at $1. Keep in mind the broker reserves the right to impose processing fees on EU customers who cash out funds from their accounts without trading.
| Brand | Minimum | Fees | Processing Time |
| $1 | No Fees | Instantly | |
| $1 | No Fees | Instantly | |
| $1 | No Fees | Instantly | |
| $1 | No Fees | Instantly | |
| $1 | No Fees | Instantly | |
| $1 | No Fees | 3-4 business days |
| Brand | Minimum | Fees | Processing Time |
| - | No Fees | 15-20 min (max 2 days) | |
| - | No Fees | 15-20 min (max 2 days) | |
| - | No Fees | 15-20 min (max 2 days) | |
| - | No Fees | 15-20 min (max 2 days) | |
| - | No Fees | 15-20 min (max 2 days) | |
| - | No Fees | 48 hours |
Account types
FBS offers its users a variety of account types, each of which is intended for a specific type of trader. They vary in terms of minimum deposits, leverage caps, spreads and order volume. Novices who are just learning the ropes of online trading can build their knowledge and experience by creating free demo accounts that are funded with a virtual balance of $1,000.
Beginners can choose from standard, cent and crypto demo accounts. Customers who are confident enough in their expertise and skills can switch to real-money trading via standard, cent, ECN, crypto, zero spread and micro accounts. Professional accounts are available to those who fulfil the eligibility criteria. Interest-free trading is an option for Muslim customers who abide by Sharia law.
| Market | Leverage |
|---|---|
| Forex CFDs | 1:30 (ASIC) |
| Forex CFDs | 1:30 (CySEC) |
| Forex CFDs | 1:3000 (FSC) |
| Commodities CFDs | 1:30 (Pro Account) |
| Commodities CFDs | 1:10 (Retail Account) |
| Crypto CFDs | 1:10 (Pro Account) |
| Crypto CFDs | 1:5 (Retail Account) |
| Forex CFDs | 1:500 (Pro Account) |
| Forex CFDs | 1:30 (Retail Account) |
| Indices CFDs | 1:30 (Pro Account) |
| Indices CFDs | 1:10 (Retail Account) |
| Metals CFDs | 1:333 (Pro Account) |
| Metals CFDs | 1:20 (Retail Account) |
| Stock CFDs | 1:10 (Pro Account) |
| Stock CFDs | 1:5 (Retail Account) |
Standard accounts
The standard account is meant for the average trader. It has a minimum deposit of $1, a spread starting from 1 pip, maximum leverage of up to 1:3,000, and an order volume between 0.01 and 500 lots. This type of account does not incur commissions, and the maximum number of open positions and pending orders is set at 200.
Standard accounts are the ideal option for beginner and medium-level traders looking for optimal conditions. It is important to mention that customers who sign up from EU member states have access to considerably lower leverage caps of up to 1:30. The threshold is even lower for more volatile instruments like cryptocurrencies, stocks and indices. Standard accounts allow you to trade over 30 currency pairs, a dozen hard commodities, more than 120 stocks and 11 indices.
Cent accounts
The cent account is a natural choice for beginners. It comes with a minimum deposit requirement of $1, a variable spread that starts from 1 pip, maximum leverage of up to 1:1,000, and an order volume between 0.01 and 1,000 cent lots. Cent accounts are completely commission-free and support straight-through processing (STP) order execution. They allow for no more than 200 open positions and pending orders at a time. Other than that, account holders have access to the same range of financial instruments as those available in standard accounts.
Micro accounts
Micro accounts have a minimum deposit requirement of $1 and a fixed spread from 3 pips. Additionally, micro account holders can benefit from leverage of up to 1:3,000 and an order volume ranging from 0.01 to 500 lots. Much like the previous two options, micro accounts are commission-free, and the maximum number of open positions and pending orders is again limited to 200. The only downside of opening a micro account is the limited range of tradable instruments. Customers who opt for this account type can trade with only 31 currency pairs and two precious metals.
Zero spread accounts
The zero spread account is meant for traders who like to trade at the fastest possible speeds. Traders must deposit at least $1 to open this type of account. As its name implies, the spread is fixed at zero pips. Unlike the previous account types, this one features a commission that starts at $20 per lot.
Zero spread account holders can trade with maximum leverage of 1:3,000, while the order volume ranges from 0.01 to 500 lots. Traders can have up to 200 open positions and pending orders at the same time. This type of account also uses straight-through processing order execution but is available only to those who use the MetaTrader 4 platform.
ECN accounts
ECN account holders enjoy the full benefits of ECN technology. The main benefit associated with this account is that it facilitates trades that take place on an electronic communication network, hence the abbreviation ECN. ECN order execution ensures greater levels of transparency, greater efficiency and deeper liquidity since traders have direct access to the markets. It also reduces trading costs because requotes rarely occur in this case.
This type of account requires a larger initial deposit than the rest, as customers must transfer at least $1,000 to their balance. Better suited to the needs of professional traders, it features floating spreads from 1 pip and a commission of $6 per lot.
Account holders can trade with leverage of up to 1:500 and have their pending orders and open positions restricted to 200 at the same time. The allowed trading volume ranges from 0.01 to 500 lots. Additionally, ECN accounts can trade only 28 currency pairs, as opposed to the 31 pairs and 2 metals available in zero spread and micro accounts. Only MT4 traders can set up accounts with this type of order execution.
Professional accounts
Professional accounts are intended for traders looking to open larger-volume orders and dabble in algorithmic trading. Customers who qualify for this type of account will benefit from speedy order execution of 0.2 seconds and direct access to the interbank markets. Spreads are variable rather than fixed and start at 0.3 pips. This type of account allows traders to open as many positions as they like, and there is no ceiling on the maximum number of pending orders, either.
FBS charges no commissions to professional traders, who will also benefit from significantly higher leverage of 1:2,000, provided they have registered through the international domain. Professional traders based in EU member states have access to a maximum leverage ratio of 1:500.
Minimum deposits for professional accounts start at $1,000. One thing to keep in mind is that not everyone is eligible to open a professional account. The broker will prompt you to go through a survey to evaluate your trading proficiency and will allow you to register a professional account only if you satisfy the criteria.
Islamic accounts
FBS accommodates customers of the Muslim faith by granting them the option to create Islamic accounts where no swaps or interest is charged on positions that remain open overnight. Interest-free trading is possible only via standard and cent accounts, however. Account holders will benefit from speedy order execution, access to more than 60 financial instruments and variable spreads that start from 1 pip.
If Islam is the official or predominant religion in your country, you must navigate to the settings of your newly registered account to turn on the swap-free trading feature. Muslim customers who reside in European countries should email the customer support team at support@fbs.eu to request interest-free trading.
Support
FBS has an incredibly large customer support team to accommodate its immense user base, spread out across twelve offices in seven different countries. The countries in question are Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China, South Korea and Myanmar. Each office can be reached via email and telephone. The broker’s support staff also assists customers via Facebook Messenger, Line, WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram.
Customers who are not dealing with urgent issues can email the support representatives at support@fbs.eu or support@fbs.com, depending on their country of residence. Two telephone lines are available for the main office in Limassol, +357 2201 0970 and +357 2531 3540. Traders in need of help can also schedule a callback from a support agent at a time convenient for them.
Additionally, you can always engage in live chat with a company representative directly from the website. The company also has a presence on social media, so you might get your answers there as well. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Live chat assistance is provided in multiple languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. The support agents go above and beyond to ensure the highest level of customer care and usually respond to client queries within seconds. The company seeks to provide its users with the best possible support service, and we must admit it has certainly accomplished much in this respect.
Conclusion
FBS is a trusted online brokerage overseen by several respected financial regulators such as ASIC, FSCA and CySEC. It facilitates trading on margin with a broad range of financial instruments at spreads that generally align with those of the competition. Customers face a broad choice of account types and trading platforms, including the ever-popular MT4 and MT5.
The broker accommodates beginners with detailed guidebooks, video lessons, training courses and webinars that can significantly improve their learning curve and enhance their chances of turning a profit. Seasoned traders will benefit from daily news, detailed market analysis and a frequently updated economic calendar with key economic releases. All these qualities render FBS a suitable online brokerage for traders of all experience and expertise levels.
