ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR A PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT?

To qualify as a professional client, you need to provide documentary evidence that you meet at least two of the following three criteria for categorisation:

• you carried out transactions in significant size on the relevant markets at an average frequency of 10 per quarter over the previous four quarters
• the size of your financial portfolio (including cash deposits and financial instruments) exceeds 500,000 EUR
• you work or have worked in the financial sector for at least one year in a professional position which requires knowledge of the transactions or services envisaged

If you are not eligible for a professional account status, you can still trade with CI Europe as a retail client with a negative balance protection.

How to apply 

Considering that you meet the respective criteria to be a professional trader with CI Europe, you first need to open a live trading account. In the account opening form (AOF), you will be prompted to fill in a client categorisation questionnaire. Once your live trading account is ready and active, simply follow these steps to request a professional status categorisation:

1. Apply for a Proffesional Account 

2. If applicable, fill in and submit for review the client categorisation questionnaire (this can be done only once).

3. Provide all necessary documents needed as an evidence for the categorisation as a reply to the email that you will receive from our Client Service team.

Remember: You always have the right to request a different categorisation. At any time, you can request a higher level of protection by being categorised again as a retail client.

PROFESSIONAL TRADER VS RETAIL TRADER: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

Before applying for a professional client status, it is important to fully understand all limitations involved. Please review the following list of changes in the trading conditions that will apply if you are categorised as a professional client compared to a retail client status:

• Your orders may not be always processed according to the best execution rule applicable to retail traders.
• Your orders may not be always executed under the procedures and arrangements that CI Europe has in place to promptly and fairly protect the interests of its retail clients.
• You will not be asked to prove your expertise by passing an appropriateness test (required for retail traders) when choosing the financial products or services most relevant for you.
• You may not receive detailed information from CI Europe about the company’s services, financial instruments, proposed investment strategies, execution venues and the arrangements through which it will be remunerated as well as any other information relevant to the retail traders.
• You may not receive post-trade order execution or investment management reports from JFD.
• You are not covered by the Investor’s Compensation Fund protecting the retail traders.
• You will not be covered under the Negative Balance Protection offered by CI Europe to retail clients.
• Your funds are subject to the Title Transfer Collateral Arrangements of the Company.

See the following investor categorisation comparison table for further reference:

Important: Please note that in specific countries there are restrictions in place preventing CI Europe from accepting retail clients. However, based on the regulation in the respective jurisdictions, these restrictions may not apply for professional clients. If applicable, you will be notified about this while filling in the account opening form. In such case or if you believe that you can be accepted by CI Europe as a professional client, please contact our Client Service team for more information.