Transferring your account to a new IB: the process and the catches

Your account is tied to an introducing broker (IB) at the moment it is opened. If you want to move
it to a different one — to collect a rebate, say — there is
a specific process, and it is not the same at every broker.

1. Why an account has an IB at all

Open an account through a partner’s link and the broker records the relationship, paying that
partner commission on the volume you trade. Open directly and the commission still arises, but is
attributed to nobody.

Important: this relationship does not affect the price you fill at. It lives
purely in the commission-attribution layer.

2. Three common policies

Transfers allowed

You send a request to support, usually with the new IB’s code. The broker processes it within a few
business days. Some require the account to have no open positions at the time.

Allowed with conditions

For example, requiring the account to have been dormant for a period, or permitting one transfer
only.

Transfers not allowed

Here the only route is to open a new account through the new IB’s link. The old
account keeps its original attribution.

3. The process

1. Ask first. Contact the broker’s support and ask directly about its IB transfer
   policy. Do not infer it from a forum post.
2. Have the details ready: your account number, and the new IB’s code or name.
3. Close open positions if the broker requires it. Check this in advance so you are
   not forced to close at a bad moment.
4. Send the request through official channels — your registered email or a support
   ticket in the client area. Do not have a third party send it for you.
5. Confirm afterwards. Check that your volume was recorded correctly in the first
   commission period.

4. If you have to open a new account

• Open through the new IB’s link, in the same browser session, without opening other tabs part
  way.
• Move funds internally between the two accounts if the broker supports it — usually free and
  faster than withdrawing and depositing again.
• Keeping or closing the old account is up to you, but check the
  inactivity fee policy if you leave it
  empty.

5. Four things to check before transferring

• The rebate rate for your actual
  account type. It differs between types, sometimes by a great deal.
• Whether any instruments are excluded — some schemes pay nothing on gold or
  indices.
• The payment cycle and destination — daily or weekly, into the trading account or
  elsewhere.
• Whether there is a minimum volume.

6. What does not change

Worth stating plainly so nobody expects otherwise: spread,
leverage, execution speed,
deposit and withdrawal policy and every other trading
condition stay as they were. Transferring an IB changes only who the commission from
your trading is attributed to — and, if you move to a rebate programme, most of it comes back to your
account.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice. Conditions and fee levels are published by the brokers and can change at any time — check with the broker you actually use. Leveraged forex and CFD trading carries a high level of risk and can cost you your entire deposit.