A broker sends you a certificate carrying an Antigua and Barbuda company number. The number may identify a real company. It still does not tell you whether that company is the one in your account agreement, whether its status is current, or who supervises the trading activity offered to you.
The practical job is to connect four pieces of evidence: the broker’s legal name, the company number, the relevant registry record and the company named in your proposed contract. If any one of them points somewhere else, the check is unfinished.
Short answer: Copy the full company name and number from the client agreement, not only the website footer. Check whether the company belongs in the ABIPCO register or the FSRC’s International Business Corporation records. Record what the search can and cannot confirm. Then check financial authorisation separately for the exact activity offered to you.
First identify which company record you are looking for
Antigua and Barbuda does not give every company check the same route. The Antigua and Barbuda Intellectual Property and Commerce Office (ABIPCO) provides a limited internet search across several statutory registers. The Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) maintains International Business Corporation records and an IBC e-Registry.
Do not guess the route from the word “Antigua” in a footer. Ask whether the company is presented as a company registered through ABIPCO or as an IBC administered through the FSRC. Keep the legal ending exactly as written, including Limited, Ltd., Corporation, Corp., Incorporated or Inc.
| Evidence source | Useful for | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Broker client agreement | Identifying the company that proposes to contract with you | A broker document is not independent registry or regulatory evidence |
| ABIPCO limited internet search | Checking whether a company or other registered name may appear in its database | ABIPCO says the database is updated periodically and is not a substitute for a paid official search |
| FSRC IBC records | Checking an IBC number, incorporation date, directors, registered office, resident agent and corporate status through the appropriate request | The public e-Registry landing page does not itself display a complete open company record |
| FSRC CFD notice | Understanding the Commission’s stated position on CFD activity | It does not verify the status of a particular company or every product described as forex |
What the free ABIPCO search can tell you
ABIPCO describes its Search the Register page as a limited internet facility. It can help you see whether a name could be registered in its company, business-name, charity or society records.
The disclaimer matters more than the search box. ABIPCO says the database is updated only periodically, does not provide a real-time reflection of every entry and does not replace a paid search of official records. A missing result is therefore not enough to declare that a company does not exist. A matching result is not evidence of financial authorisation.
- Search the complete legal name from the proposed agreement.
- Repeat the search with the company number if the facility accepts it.
- Record the exact result, URL and check date. Do not shorten the name in your notes.
- If the result is missing, stale or ambiguous, ask ABIPCO how to obtain an official search for that record.
- Keep the result marked “company identity check only” until you complete the activity and authorisation checks.
What to request for an FSRC IBC
The FSRC’s public FAQ says a person may conduct a search of an IBC’s public documents during normal working hours for a prescribed fee. It also says anyone may request a corporate status report.
According to that FAQ, a corporate status report can include the incorporation date and IBC number, directors, the registered office and resident agent, authorised capital and company status. Those fields are more useful than a certificate image because they can help identify whether the number, name and current record belong together.
A company number proves less than many broker pages imply
A company record can support a narrow conclusion: a legal entity with the recorded name and number was incorporated or appears in the relevant register. Depending on the record, you may also learn its status, office, agent or directors.
It does not automatically prove that the company may offer the financial product on your screen. The FSRC’s public notice on contracts for difference says that CFD trading is not regulated, licensed, supervised or authorised by the Commission. It also says that including CFDs in an IBC’s corporate purpose does not amount to authorisation of that activity.
This distinction applies directly to the evidence you save. Label a certificate “incorporation evidence”. Do not relabel it as a financial licence unless an official authority separately confirms that permission for the named company and activity.
Match the record to your contract in seven steps
- Obtain the proposed client agreement. Ask for it before depositing or uploading payment information.
- Copy the contracting sentence. Record the full company name, number, registered address and agreement version.
- Choose the correct record route. Determine whether the claimed entity belongs in ABIPCO’s records or the FSRC IBC system.
- Check the company identity. Match the legal spelling and number. Note the source’s limitations and the date you checked it.
- Confirm current status. When a free search is not current or detailed enough, request the official search or corporate status report.
- Separate the activity question. Ask which authority, if any, supervises the exact product and company. Check that statement with the authority itself.
- Match the payment path. Compare the company in the agreement with the beneficiary or payment instructions in the secure account area. Ask for written clarification when the relationship is unclear.
For the broader method behind steps two and six, use our broker legal-entity verification guide. Our Antigua registration-versus-licence analysis explains the FSRC notice and its limits in more detail.
Save a record that another person can repeat
| Field | What to record | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Broker brand | Name and website used | Recorded |
| Contracting company | Exact name and number from the agreement | Confirmed / unclear |
| Company record | Registry, result, status and check date | Matched / not independently confirmed |
| Activity claim | Product offered and claimed supervising authority | Confirmed / unsupported / unresolved |
| Payment beneficiary | Name shown before transfer | Matched / explanation required |
| Saved evidence | Agreement, result, correspondence and URLs | Complete / missing items |
Message to send when the number is not enough
Please confirm the full legal name and company number of the entity that would contract with me. Is this an ABIPCO-registered company or an International Business Corporation recorded by the FSRC? Please provide the proposed client agreement and explain whether the number shown is a company-registration number or a financial-services permission. If the account offers CFDs, please name the authority claimed to supervise that activity and provide an official verification link for the same legal entity.
Keep the reply with the version of the agreement you were offered. A licence belonging to another company in the broker group does not complete the check.
What this process cannot establish
- A matching company record does not guarantee solvency, fair execution or successful withdrawals.
- A public search result may not show every current filing or change.
- A company name in a broker footer does not prove that the same company will hold your account.
- The FSRC CFD notice does not decide every product, customer-country rule or private legal claim.
- This article does not verify or rate an individual broker.
If you already have an account problem, organise the agreement and company evidence before choosing a destination for the complaint. The free Broker Complaint and Protection Route Finder can help structure the next check, but the external body’s current eligibility rules remain decisive.
Official sources checked
- ABIPCO: Search the RegisterLimited-search scope, update limitation and official-search disclaimer. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
- FSRC: Frequently Asked QuestionsIBC public-document search and corporate status report fields. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
- FSRC: IBC e-RegistryPublic landing-page access. No individual company record retrieved. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
- FSRC: IBC incorporation procedureFormation documents, registered office, resident agent and certificate. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
- FSRC: IBC incorporation factsLicensed and non-licensed IBC distinction. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
- FSRC: Regulatory status of CFD tradingCommission’s stated position on CFD activity and corporate purpose. Checked 6 Sep 2026.
This article is general educational information, not legal or investment advice. Registry procedures, company status and account terms can change. Repeat the checks before acting.