A withdrawal that will not go through: six causes, in the order to check them

A stuck withdrawal is the easiest moment to panic and the easiest moment to make a bad decision. Most
cases have an administrative cause rather than a broker holding your money. But three signs mean you
should stop depositing immediately.

Here are six causes, ordered by how often they actually occur.

1. Identity verification is not finished

The most common cause. Brokers let you deposit and trade before
KYC is complete, but block withdrawals until the file is
approved. A great many people leave the documents until the day they want to withdraw.

Common rejection reasons: a blurred photo or a missing corner, an expired document, or proof of
address more than three months old. Check the KYC status in the client area before assuming anything
worse.

2. Withdrawing through a different channel than you deposited

Anti-money-laundering rules require most brokers to return funds through the channel they came
in by, at least up to the original amount. Deposit by Visa card and the principal must go back
to that card.

If you funded through several channels, the withdrawal is split proportionally and can stall if one
channel is no longer available. This is the second most common cause, and it is almost always solved by
selecting the right channel.

3. Open positions, or insufficient free margin

Free balance is not the same as account balance. With positions open, the margin held is not
withdrawable. Withdrawing too much can push the account towards
stop out and the request will be refused.

4. Bonus conditions not yet released

If you accepted a deposit bonus, it usually carries a volume requirement. Until it is met, the bonus —
and sometimes the profit generated from it — is locked.

Which is why the conditions are worth reading before accepting a bonus. In plenty of cases the bonus
locks the original capital too, for months.

5. It is simply still within normal processing time

A withdrawal to an international card takes 3–7 business days, not because the broker is slow but
because of the card scheme’s refund cycle. Weekends and holidays do not count. Many people report that
“the broker is holding my money” on day two of a seven-day process.

6. The broker genuinely has a problem

Last because it is the rarest cause at a licensed broker — but also the only one that will not resolve
itself.

Three signs to stop depositing immediately

• The broker asks you to deposit more to “release” the withdrawal. No legitimate
  process requires this. It is the clearest sign there is.
• You are asked to pay tax or a fee before withdrawing. A licensed broker deducts fees
  from the withdrawal; it does not ask you to send money separately.
• Support moves the conversation to a personal contact on a messaging app, rather than
  an official channel that leaves a record.

The order to work through

1. Screenshot everything — the withdrawal request, the balance, the whole exchange with
   support. Do it before complaining.
2. Check the first four causes in the order above. Most cases stop here.
3. Contact support through a channel that leaves a record — email or a ticket, not a
   passing chat. Ask for the reason in writing.
4. Complain to the regulator if the broker holds a real licence. The FCA, ASIC and
   CySEC all accept complaints from overseas clients. Look the licence number up using
   these five steps to find out where to file.

Prevention is cheaper than the cure

Complete KYC as soon as you open the account, use a single
funding channel, and
check the licence before depositing the first dollar.
Those three things eliminate almost every situation above.

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.