City Index review 2026

"Legit" has two parts. First, is the company real and supervised by a regulator? Second, will you get your money out when you ask? A licence helps with the first part only. We cover the second part in the withdrawal section.

A licence belongs to one company, not to a brand name. City Index is a trading name. The company behind it is StoneX Financial Ltd, which City Index describes as registered in England and Wales. That is the entity you would be dealing with under the UK pages we used.

FCA licence (StoneX Financial Ltd)

The FCA is the Financial Conduct Authority, the regulator of the United Kingdom. City Index states that StoneX Financial Ltd is registered in England and Wales and gives the FCA Register Number 446717. The FCA keeps a public register at register.fca.org.uk. Type the number into the search box and check that the firm name and the status match what City Index shows.

That is the only licence we hold on record for City Index. It is a strong one, because the FCA is a well-known and strict regulator. But it applies to the UK company serving UK clients. We could not confirm whether the same company serves, or offers the same protections to, clients in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Protections such as compensation schemes usually depend on where you live and which company holds your account. Do not assume they apply to you.

A simple safety checklist before you deposit: - Find the company name in the client agreement you accept at sign-up. - Search that exact name or number on the FCA register. - Check that the status is authorised and the website address matches. - Ask support in writing which entity serves your country. - Start with a small deposit and test a withdrawal early.

Also watch for copycats. Fraudsters sometimes use the name of a real broker. Always type the website address yourself, and never trust a link from a message you did not expect.

Brokers earn money from the spread, from a commission, or from both. These costs repeat on every trade, so they matter more than any offer.

The spread is the gap between the buy price and the sell price. If you open and close a trade at once, you lose that gap. On currency pairs it is measured in pips. City Index quotes its figures in points, which is a similar idea: a small unit of price. A smaller number means a lower cost.

A commission is a fixed fee charged per trade. Swap is the overnight fee, or sometimes a credit, for holding a trade past the daily rollover time. We do not have a swap figure for City Index, so read the market information page for your instrument before you hold trades overnight.

What City Index publishes on its UK pages: - Spreads from 0.5 points on MT4. - Spreads from 0.8 points on the standard platform. - Commission: none on MT4, except on shares.

How should you read this? The cost is in the spread. There is no separate commission on MT4 for most markets, so the only number to watch is the spread itself. For share trading, a commission can apply, and we do not have the amount. We will not invent one.

Practical tips: - Open a demo account, watch the live spread on your market and compare it with the "from" figure. The "from" figure is a best case, not an average. - Spreads widen at market open, near news and when markets are thin. - If you hold a trade for days, swap can cost more than the spread, so check it first. - We do not state any inactivity or withdrawal fee, because we could not confirm one.

Because these figures are for the UK, your own costs could differ. Check the page shown to you in your country.

The account information we hold is brief. City Index's UK pages compare its trading accounts and describe an MT4 trading account.

The main idea is a choice of platform and the cost that goes with it. On the MT4 account, spreads start from 0.5 points and there is no commission except for shares. On the standard platform, spreads start from 0.8 points. We do not have a list of other account types, base currencies or special account features, so we will not describe any.

How to choose: - If you like MetaTrader and want a very simple cost, the MT4 account is the one with the lower published spread. - If you prefer City Index's own web platform with TradingView charts, use the standard platform, which starts at 0.8 points. - If you are not sure, open a demo account on each and compare the real spread on your market.

Check these before you open a live account: - Which account types can I open from my country? - What is the base currency, and who converts my deposits? - Is the minimum deposit different for my account? - Are there other products, such as spread betting, that I cannot use in my country?

Spread betting is mainly a UK and Ireland product, and it is treated differently for tax and rules than a CFD. We do not give tax advice. If you are outside the UK, ask what you are actually being offered, and keep a record of the answer.

City Index's UK pages list a minimum initial deposit of £100 for MT4 or for new cards. In plain words, you need £100 to start with those options. We do not have a figure for other methods, so check the funding page for yours.

There are two ideas here. The broker's minimum is the smallest amount it accepts. Your practical minimum is the smallest amount that lets you trade safely. The second is usually higher, because even small trades carry costs and a small account can be wiped out by a normal market move.

The £100 figure is in pounds, so you also need to think about exchange rates. If your own currency is not the pound, your bank or wallet will convert it, and the conversion may add a cost. Work out the real amount in your own money before you send anything.

Advice for a new trader: - Deposit only money you can afford to lose completely. - Never use rent, school fees or borrowed money. - Practise on a demo account first. - Trade the smallest size when you go live.

We could not confirm whether the minimum is different in your country. Ask City Index support, or read the page that appears when you start registration.

We have to be honest here: the facts we hold for City Index do not include a list of deposit or withdrawal methods. The only payment detail we have is that the £100 minimum applies to MT4 or new cards, which suggests that cards are accepted. We do not know the rest.

That means you should check the funding page yourself, from the country you will register in. Look for these answers: - Which methods are available for deposits in my country? - Which methods are available for withdrawals? - Does the method need to be in my own name? - Is there a fee from City Index or from the payment provider? - Which currency will the money arrive in, and who converts it?

General habits that protect you: - Withdraw to the same method you used to deposit when the broker allows it. Many brokers follow anti-money-laundering rules that require this. - Complete your identity verification early. Upload a clear photo of your ID and proof of address as soon as you open the account. - Do not let anyone else pay for your account, and do not pay into someone else's account. - Take a screenshot of any fee shown on a payment page.

How the common methods compare: cards are easy but money normally returns to the same card; bank transfers suit larger amounts but are often slower; e-wallets can be quick but may have their own fees. These are general patterns, not City Index promises. Because the payment options in the UK may not be the same as in your country, test with a small amount first.

We will be direct: City Index does not publish a withdrawal time on the pages we used, and we have no verified timing from our own tests. So we will not give you a number.

Each payment method has its own natural speed. E-wallets are usually quickest, cards are in the middle, and bank transfers are normally slowest, especially across borders. That is a general pattern, not a City Index promise.

Common causes of delay at any broker: - Identity checks that are not finished. - A payment method with a name that does not match the account name. - A request to withdraw to a different method than the one you deposited with. - Weekends and bank holidays.

The safest way to learn the real time is to test it: 1. Make a small first deposit. 2. Complete identity verification at once. 3. Request a small withdrawal early. 4. Write down when you asked and when the money arrived. 5. Keep screenshots of the request and the confirmation.

If the money arrives in a reasonable time, add more with more confidence. If it does not, stop depositing and write to support. A written message gives you a record. Also read City Index's withdrawal terms for any fee or minimum amount. We did not find one we could confirm.

One more point. Because City Index is regulated in the UK, a UK client can use the regulator's complaint route if a problem is not solved. Whether that route is open to you depends on your country and the company that holds your account. Ask before you deposit.

City Index lists three ways to trade: the City Index Web Trader with TradingView charts, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView.

The City Index Web Trader is the broker's own platform that runs in a browser, so you do not need to install anything. It uses TradingView charts, which many traders like for their clean look and drawing tools.

MetaTrader 4, or MT4, is the best-known retail forex platform. It is simple, has many indicators and automated tools, and has plenty of tutorials. It is also the platform with the lowest published spread, from 0.5 points.

TradingView is a popular charting service. City Index lists it as a way to trade, so you can use its charts and place trades from them. We do not have more detail about how the link works, so check the City Index page for the steps.

We do not have information about a City Index mobile app, so we make no claim. Check the app store listing from the official site if you plan to trade from a phone.

Practical tips: - Practise on a demo account until the buy, sell and close buttons feel natural. - A stop loss is an order that closes a trade at a price you choose, to limit your loss. Learn it before your first live trade. - Only download software from the official site or store. - Test the platform on a demo account for several days.

Leverage lets you control a larger position with a smaller amount of your own money. At 1:10, one dollar controls ten dollars of market. Leverage makes both gains and losses bigger.

We have no maximum leverage figure for City Index. UK retail clients are limited by FCA rules, and these rules are strict for retail traders, but we do not quote a number we could not confirm from City Index's own pages. Ask support, and read the product information for your market.

Why this matters. At high leverage, a small move against you can remove most of your money. Lower leverage gives you more room before a loss becomes large. A lower limit is a protection, not a weakness.

City Index's own risk figure is 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. Please read it twice.

A simple risk plan: - Risk only a small share of your account on any one trade. - Always use a stop loss. - Never add money to a losing trade hoping it will come back. - Keep a trade journal so you can learn from mistakes. - Do not trade money you need for daily life.

A stop-out is when the broker automatically closes your trades because your account can no longer support them. We do not state City Index's stop-out level, because we could not confirm it. Find it in your account terms and write it down.

Trading is not a fast way to get rich. It is a skill that costs money to learn. Treat your first months as training, not as income.

Based on what we could confirm, City Index can suit these traders.

Traders who want a single FCA-regulated company. The FCA number is 446717.

Traders who like low published spreads on MT4. The UK pages show spreads from 0.5 points, with no commission except on shares.

Traders who like TradingView charts. City Index lists both its Web Trader with TradingView charts and TradingView itself.

Beginners who can start with £100. The minimum initial deposit for MT4 or new cards is £100 on the UK pages.

City Index may be less suitable if: - You live outside the UK and need to know the exact entity and protections for your country. We could not confirm them. - You need a published withdrawal time before you start. City Index does not give one on the pages we used. - You need a wide list of deposit methods that you can read before registering. We do not hold one. - You want high leverage. We have no figure, and UK retail rules are strict.

If you are unsure, try a demo account and make sure you understand every cost.

Opening an account is normally quick, but take your time at each step.

1. Go to the official City Index website at www.cityindex.com. Check the address carefully before you type anything.
2. Check that the site lets you open an account from your country. If it does not, stop here.
3. Enter your name, email and country. Use real details that match your ID.
4. Read the client agreement. Write down the exact company name that will hold your account, and check it on the FCA register.
5. Choose your platform, such as MT4 or the web platform.
6. Verify your identity. Upload a clear photo of your ID and proof of address.
7. Fund the account with a small amount through a method in your own name.
8. Practise on demo, then place one very small live trade, and request a small withdrawal.

Never share your password, and never send money to anyone who promises guaranteed profits.

Here are the details people often miss.

Your entity matters. Rules, leverage and protection depend on the company holding your account, not on the City Index name.

All of our figures come from the UK pages. The spreads, the commission note and the £100 minimum are all UK figures. They may be different in your country.

Only one licence. We hold the FCA licence 446717 for StoneX Financial Ltd and no other.

Points, not pips. City Index quotes spreads in points. Check the unit for your market on its price page.

Missing facts. We could not confirm a leverage figure, deposit or withdrawal methods, a withdrawal time or fee, a swap figure, a share commission amount, a mobile app or a stop-out level. We do not guess any of them.

Risk. City Index's own figure is 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Affiliate disclosure. The Forex Bridge may earn a payment if you open an account through some links. That never changes our facts or our verdict.

This review is general information, not financial advice. Facts were checked on 16 October 2026 from City Index's own pages and may change.

City Index earns a careful, middle-of-the-road verdict. The best things are a clear FCA-regulated company (number 446717), published spreads from 0.5 points on MT4, no commission on MT4 except shares, and TradingView charts.

The cautions are significant for our readers. All the figures come from UK pages. We have no leverage figure, no list of payment methods and no withdrawal time. We could not confirm that City Index serves clients in Africa, Asia or Latin America, or under which entity. And its own figure says 68% of retail accounts lose money.

Our advice: first confirm that you can open an account from your country, then confirm the exact entity on the FCA register. Practise on demo, deposit a small amount you can afford to lose, and test a withdrawal early. If City Index passes those steps for you, it is a reasonable broker to consider. If a step feels wrong, walk away. Your money matters more than any broker.