BEFORE YOU DEPOSIT · BROKER CHECKS
The app can look familiar while the company behind your account remains unclear. Follow the company name through your agreement, the official register and the payment instructions.
MT5 and your broker do different jobs
A broker can give you an MT5 login and a server name. Those details help you connect to an account. They leave another task unfinished: identifying the company that has agreed to provide the service.
The official MT5 broker directory also states that MetaQuotes does not provide brokerage services or take responsibility for trading operations or withdrawals. Treat a directory entry as a place to begin research. Confirm the entity and its permissions independently.
- 01
Trading app
Your interface for the account.
- 02
Broker brand
The name used to market the service.
- 03
Contracting company
The full legal name in your agreement.
- 04
Official register
The company’s current status and permissions.
For US retail over-the-counter forex, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) explains that the customer connects to the dealer, which controls information shown on screen. It warns that unregistered offshore dealers have used popular trading software to create an appearance of legitimacy.
What does an MT5 login prove?
Keep each piece of evidence tied to the question it answers. A familiar interface cannot answer every question about the company handling your money.
| What you see | What it establishes | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| Official MT5 app | A software platform is available. | The account provider’s identity and authority to serve you. |
| Login and server name | You can identify the account connection you were given. | The legal company behind that connection. A server label is not a regulatory record. |
| Broker directory listing | The broker appears in that directory. | The entity in your contract and the services it may provide where you live. |
| Balance or profit on screen | The interface displays an account figure. | Whether the displayed amount can be withdrawn under the account terms. |
| Official regulator entry | The record gives status and scope for the named firm. | Whether the firm you contacted is that firm, and whether your account falls within its permissions. |
A registration check is useful evidence. It does not remove trading risk or guarantee that the person contacting you represents the registered company.
Check these details before depositing
Find the company in your agreement
Open the account agreement and legal disclosures. Copy the company name exactly, including its legal suffix and any licence or reference number. Keep the document version or date.
If you only have a brand name, ask the broker to identify the contracting company in writing. Do not fill the gap with the company shown on a group’s homepage. Your evidence notes should describe your account.
Open the register yourself
Use the regulator’s own website. Search for the full company name or reference number and compare the result with your documents. Save the URL and the date of the check. A licence screenshot sent through a chat is a claim to investigate.
For US retail forex, start with the Firm tab in NFA BASIC. Search for the full company name from your agreement. The NFA ID tab provides a separate search by identifier. US residents considering an offshore account can also follow our account eligibility and pre-deposit checks.
Match the website and contact details
Compare the domain, address and phone number with the official record where those fields are available. If a field is missing, use a contact channel published by the regulator to resolve it. Similar company names need careful comparison: NFA warns that fraudsters can misuse a member’s identity or ID number.
Our clone broker guide explains how to check look-alike websites and copied licence details.
Read the payment recipient before sending money
Compare the bank beneficiary or payment recipient with the agreement and official funding instructions. If another company is named, ask what role it performs and obtain a written explanation through the broker’s independently confirmed contact channel.
A different recipient name is a reason to investigate, not a verdict on its own. Keep the explanation with your records. Follow the payment recipient check for a fuller process.
Use the check for your country
Your country of residence, the contracting company and the product offered determine which records to inspect. A forex account, a CFD account and an exchange-traded futures account should not be treated as the same service.
UNITED STATES
A number is not enough
For retail forex, use the National Futures Association’s BASIC database to check the exact company. BASIC contains CFTC registration, NFA membership and disciplinary information.
Inspect current status and the registration relevant to the service offered. An NFA ID alone does not show current membership: former members, pending applicants and some exempt firms also have IDs.
Compare the name, address and phone number with the business contacting you. This identity check is part of NFA’s fraud advisory.
Follow the NFA BASIC walkthrough →EUROPEAN UNION
Check the entity and services
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) directs investors to public registers of national regulators and its register of authorised firms.
Search the company in your agreement. In ESMA’s register, check the entity type and active status. Use the relevant national record to examine authorised services and whether the firm may provide them where you live.
A group’s EU licence does not establish that your contract is with that entity. If the contract names another company, resolve that difference before treating EU permissions as applicable.
For a Cyprus entity, follow the CySEC walkthrough →For a Cyprus investment firm, use the official CySEC list shown below. Search for the contracting company, then inspect its individual record and approved website details.
If the contract, register and broker’s explanation disagree, keep the discrepancy open. Contact the relevant authority through its official website rather than accepting a salesperson’s reassurance.
Who handles MT5 deposits and withdrawals?
MT5 can include a Payments section with deposit and withdrawal operations. Its availability and the payment methods depend on the broker. MetaQuotes’ official payments documentation says the brokerage company manages payment transactions.
A payment button inside MT5 therefore does not make MetaQuotes the company responsible for your account payment. Record the request, transaction reference, status and broker correspondence if a payment is delayed.
KEEP THIS WITH YOUR ACCOUNT RECORDS
Your check before funding an MT5 account
- The full contracting company name from the agreement.
- The official record URL and the date you checked it.
- Current status and relevant country/product permissions.
- A matched domain and independently confirmed contact channel.
- The payment recipient and any documented explanation of its role.
- A written answer to any mismatch still unresolved.
If you cannot identify the company or explain a material mismatch, pause the deposit. Completing this check gives you an evidence trail; it does not establish suitability, solvency or guaranteed withdrawals.
Official sources and how this guide was prepared
Sources checked on 1 October 2026. This guide combines official statements with an editorial checking method. It does not report a test of a particular broker, app connection or withdrawal.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| MetaQuotes disclaimer | Software provider and brokerage distinction. |
| MT5 broker directory | Directory context and provider’s responsibility statement. |
| CFTC: Forex Frauds | Dealer/platform distinction and limits of registration. |
| NFA investor resources and fraud advisory | BASIC, ID numbers and identity matching. |
| ESMA: Is the firm regulated? | EU registers, firm status and service checks. |
| CySEC investment-firm list | Cyprus search-interface example, captured on 2 October 2026. |
| MT5 payments help | Broker-dependent payment functionality. |
Educational information, not personal investment, legal or tax advice. No broker referral or ranking is included in this guide. FXPEDIA360’s approach and disclosure are described on its About page. Check current records again before acting.