Forex, CFD, prop trading

A payment gateway for forex and CFD brokers, built for large deposits and chargebacks.

OpenGate is a payment gateway for forex and CFD brokers that need a merchant account sized for large deposits and frequent disputes. Mainstream processors refuse forex outright, and the ones that accept you today close the account after a bad month. We underwrite regulated brokers, offshore operators and prop firms with the same method: read the file, take it to an acquirer that understands trading, and structure the limits so the account survives.

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At a glance

Forex & CFD

Sector: Financial & trading
Payment methods: Cards (Visa/Mastercard) · SEPA and bank transfers · Local payment methods
Documents in the file: 5
First answer: Within 1 business day

Why processors refuse

Why mainstream PSPs refuse forex and CFD brokers

Forex is high-risk for reasons that have nothing to do with how well you run the business. Acquirers see deposit sizes, dispute ratios and a vertical with a long complaint history. Understanding their objection is the first step to a file that gets past it.

Large deposits concentrate risk
A single client can fund an account with tens of thousands in one transaction. One disputed deposit of that size equals dozens of ordinary retail disputes, and the acquirer carries the liability until the case closes.
How OpenGate handles it
OpenGate structures caps and rolling reserves against deposit size. 3DS2 routing authenticates large deposits, which shifts liability to the issuer on fraud-coded disputes.
Disputes follow losing trades
Traders who lose money sometimes dispute the deposit instead of accepting the loss. The issuer sees a buyer who paid for a financial service that failed to deliver, and the merchant pays for it in chargebacks.
How OpenGate handles it
We track dispute reasons per month, submit trade logs and client acknowledgements to the dispute file as evidence, and watch ratios before they reach scheme thresholds.
Regulated and offshore brokers file differently
The card schemes class forex and CFD platforms as high-risk financial trading merchants under MCC 6211, and they expect the acquirer to check the broker's license against the markets it sells into. A CySEC or FCA licensed broker carries a different risk profile than an unlicensed offshore entity, and many acquirers refuse both rather than spend the underwriting effort to tell them apart.
How OpenGate handles it
The license is read before the volume. We route licensed brokers to acquirers that price that discipline, and offshore models to acquiring options that accept their jurisdiction, with stricter reserves where the file needs them.
AML and reputational exposure
Retail forex draws regulatory scrutiny and occasional fraud rings testing cards against trading accounts. One money laundering case tied to a platform taints the merchants that share its vertical.
How OpenGate handles it
Corporate records, UBO identity and the AML program are evaluated before activation. The review covers the compliance setup, not just the trading platform.
Sudden volume spikes
Marketing campaigns, market news and bonus offers can double a broker's monthly volume in weeks. Acquirers read a spike as instability, and instability gets priced or refused.
How OpenGate handles it
We agree monthly caps in writing and review them as history builds. Clean months grow the cap on a schedule you can plan around.

The file

How we underwrite a forex merchant account

The file decides, not the label. An underwriter reads the license, the deposit mix, the dispute history and the compliance program, then prepares the file for acquirers that underwrite trading businesses. A regulated broker and an offshore prop firm both get a real read, on their own evidence.

Regulatory authorization

The license for every jurisdiction served, from CySEC, FCA or ASIC to recognized offshore frameworks. Proof that an application is filed can start the review; activation waits on the authorization itself.

Corporate documents

Registration, shareholder structure and identity documents for directors and UBOs. Complex ownership takes longer to clear, so map the structure before you submit.

Processing history

Monthly volume, deposit size averages and dispute ratios from the current or previous processor. A broker with six months of clean history files faster than a new platform with none.

Trading terms and risk disclosure

The client agreement, withdrawal policy and risk warnings as published on the site. Acquirers check that what clients sign matches what the platform delivers.

AML program

The written anti-money-laundering policy and the KYC steps you apply to clients, required at onboarding. Deposit and withdrawal monitoring forms part of the review.

Payment methods

Payment methods for forex and CFD

Deposits arrive from many markets, so the checkout must accept what traders already use.

See every capability

Cards (Visa/Mastercard)
The default deposit method for retail traders, routed through 3DS2 so large first deposits authenticate without wrecking approval.
SEPA and bank transfers
SEPA credit transfers across Europe for traders who prefer not to fund by card. A credit transfer is a push payment with no card chargeback, which acquirers like.
Local payment methods
Pix for Brazilian traders, iDEAL for Dutch clients, and the rails that dominate each market you serve. One integration, many methods.
Wallets and crypto settlement
Wallet deposits for regions where cards underperform, and stablecoin settlement where the model and jurisdiction allow it, agreed in the offer.

The process

Start with the application at /apply and name the license, the deposit mix and the dispute history. The steps after that are the same for every vertical: analysis, offer and go-live, each documented on /how-it-works. For forex files the analysis concentrates on deposit structure and dispute history.

See the 4-step process

FAQ

Forex and CFD payment processing FAQ

Can I use Stripe or PayPal for a forex broker?

Rarely, and not for long. Stripe treats investment and brokerage services as a restricted business and lists funded prop trading as prohibited, and PayPal requires its approval in advance for forex and CFD. The refusal targets the vertical, not your file. A gateway that underwrites forex reads the same file and takes it to acquirers that accept trading merchants.

Does a prop firm need the same gateway as a regulated broker?

The gateway is the same. The underwriting differs, because prop firms sell evaluations and funded challenges rather than direct client deposits. The file focuses on refund terms, challenge pricing and dispute history. Both models are readable when the documents line up.

What documents do I need for a forex merchant account?

The license for each jurisdiction served, corporate records with UBO identity, processing history, the client agreement with risk disclosures, and the AML program. Proof that a license application is filed starts the review. Activation waits on the license itself.

How long does it take to open a forex merchant account?

A complete file can move from first review to go-live in as little as two weeks. The most common delay is a missing license or an incomplete ownership structure. We list the gaps within 1 business day, and you close them.

Why did my previous processor close my forex account?

Usually a dispute ratio that crossed a threshold, or volume that outgrew the account's risk profile. Sometimes the processor simply exited the vertical. The account often died because it sat with an acquirer that never wanted trading risk in the first place.

Do I need a rolling reserve for forex?

Almost certainly. Deposit-heavy verticals carry chargeback exposure, and acquirers hold a negotiated percentage of volume against it. The reserve releases on the schedule written in your offer. It is your money, held, not lost.

Can offshore brokers get card acquiring?

It depends on the license and the markets. The card schemes expect a broker to be authorized for the markets it sells into, so an offshore license narrows the acquiring options, and the reserve and caps usually sit higher. Offshore structures get read on the same evidence as every other file.

What happens when a client disputes a losing trade?

You receive the dispute with its reason code and a deadline. Trade logs, the signed client agreement and deposit records go into the representment file as evidence. You refund instead when the evidence is weak. The goal is keeping the ratio below scheme thresholds.

Can I accept deposits in multiple currencies?

Yes. Present the deposit in the trader's currency and settle in yours, with currency conversion priced in the offer. The supported currencies depend on the acquirer that fits your file.

Related guides

Read all guides

Comparison11 min read

Offshore Merchant Account vs EU Acquiring: How to Choose

Licensed European acquirers and offshore jurisdictions both accept high-risk files. The differences that matter are licensing, cost, stability, settlement rails and how each fits your customer base.

Acquiring & banking Explainer10 min read

3DS2 and SCA for High-Risk Merchants

What 3DS2 and Strong Customer Authentication actually do, how the liability shift works, which exemptions apply, and how high-risk merchants should route authentication.

Compliance & security How-to11 min read

How to Reduce Your Chargeback Ratio: The Full Prevention Playbook

The arithmetic of chargeback ratios, why Visa and Mastercard watch them, and the operational playbook that keeps your account below the line.

Chargebacks

Related industries

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Open your forex gate.

Send the license, the history and the model. An underwriter reads the file within 1 business day and replies with an offer, a document list, or an honest no.

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A payment gateway for forex and CFD brokers, built for large deposits and chargebacks.

Why mainstream PSPs refuse forex and CFD brokers

Large deposits concentrate risk

Disputes follow losing trades

Regulated and offshore brokers file differently

AML and reputational exposure

Sudden volume spikes