Is Exness safe? What its protections cover and what they do not

Short answer

Exness states several mechanisms meant to protect client money and data: segregated accounts, negative balance protection, PCI DSS compliance for card data, and stop out protection. These mechanisms reduce some operational risks. They do not protect you from losing money on trades.

For a trader in Pakistan there is a second question besides broker safety: the legal position. Pakistani regulators have made statements about offshore forex and CFD platforms. That section is further down. Read it before you decide anything.

The Exness facts on this page come from Exness's own pages and the Client Agreement (Version: 24 July 2026 /039). Conditions change, so check the current terms in the Exness Personal Area or on the official site.

Which companies and licences stand behind Exness

Exness is a group of companies, and each one holds its own licence. The company you deal with depends on where you register. Exness says that to find the company your account belongs to, you should check: shown in the Personal Area footer.

A licence from a regulator in one country gives protection under that country's rules. It does not give you protection from a Pakistani regulator. For more on the group structure, see Entities and regulators.

Segregated client funds

Segregated funds means client money is held in accounts kept separate from the money the company uses to run its business. The aim is to keep client money from being mixed with company money.

Exness lists its payment security measures as segregated accounts, OTP, PCI DSS, 3D Secure. The sources we used do not state how segregation works under each entity, or whether any compensation scheme applies. Do not assume one exists. Check the Client Agreement for your entity in the Personal Area. Our Client agreement page explains what to look for.

Negative balance protection

A negative balance happens when a sharp price move causes losses larger than the money in your account. Without protection you could owe the broker money.

Exness states: balance reset to 0 after stop out. In plain terms, you should not end up owing more than you deposited on that trading account. You can still lose the whole balance. Details are on Negative balance protection.

Card and payment security (PCI DSS)

PCI DSS is an industry security standard for companies that handle payment card data. Exness says it is PCI DSS certified and uses 3D Secure for major cards. With 3D Secure, your bank asks you to confirm card payments, for example with a code.

Exness also states that withdrawals go to own personal payment accounts only. This makes it harder for someone else to move your money to their own account. Exness states the maximum you can withdraw at any time is up to free margin.

You protect your own login too: use a strong password and keep codes private. See Account security.

Stop out protection

Margin is the part of your money held as collateral for open trades. Margin level compares your equity with that margin. A margin call is a warning level. Stop out is the level where the broker starts closing your positions automatically.

Exness states stop out at 0% on its account types, and stop out protection is offered on all accounts (not for KE/JO entities; may be unavailable with unlimited leverage). Exness also says: 0% stop out not supported in some countries; may vary. Exness's stated margin call and stop out levels for each account type are: Standard Cent: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Standard: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Pro: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Raw Spread: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Zero: margin call 30%, stop out 0%.

A low stop out level lets losing positions stay open longer. That can mean a larger loss before closure, not a smaller one. More on Margin call and stop out.

What none of these protect against

None of the mechanisms above protect you from market losses. They deal with how your money is held, how payments are handled, and what happens at the very bottom of your balance.

• Market losses. If the price moves against your position, you lose money. No broker feature changes that.
• Leverage. Leverage lets you open a position larger than your deposit. Exness lists maximum leverage on Standard as 1:Unlimited, with conditions. High leverage makes losses grow as fast as gains, and a small price move can wipe out an account. See Leverage.
• Gaps and fast markets. Prices can jump past your stop loss, especially around news.
• Your own decisions. Overtrading and large position sizes are the most common causes of losses.

Leveraged CFD and forex trading can lose money fast. Treat any deposit as money you can afford to lose. Our Risk management page covers position sizing and stop losses.

The position in Pakistan

Exness's safety features and the legal question are separate issues. These are the official positions in Pakistan:

• On remittances: per the SBP, remitting foreign exchange to overseas forex/margin/CFD platforms is not allowed through any payment channel (FERA s.5(1)).
• On residents buying offshore products: per the SBP, the purchase of offshore forex/margin/CFD products by Pakistani residents violates section 4(1) of FERA 1947.
• On offshore platforms: per the SECP, offshore forex/CFD platforms operate without regulatory approval in Pakistan.
• On protection for users: per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse.

SECP warnings are issued as press releases naming specific platforms. These include SECP warnings by press release naming platforms (Quotex 09.04.2025; IBKR look-alikes, IGIL Securities, BMA Capital No.108 etc. 22.05.2025; Hillhouse Capital, S-169 Wharton 13.01.2026), none of which names Exness.

If something goes wrong with an offshore broker, a Pakistani regulator is unlikely to help you recover money. Read Is Exness legal and Law and regulators before opening an account.

Checklist: verify it yourself

Do not rely on any website, including this one. Check these points yourself:

1. Find your entity. After registering, look at the Personal Area footer to see which Exness company holds your account.
2. Open the regulator's own website. Type the regulator's address yourself or search for it. Do not follow links from ads or messages.
3. Search the register. Look up the company name and licence number from the table above. Confirm that the name, licence number and status match.
4. Check the website address. The register entry often lists the official domain. Compare it with the site you use, because look-alike sites exist.
5. Check Pakistani registers. Per the SECP, lists of licensed brokers are on the PSX and PMEX websites. See whether the broker you are considering appears there.
6. Read the Client Agreement for your entity, especially the sections on client money, disputes and governing law.
7. Watch for impersonators. Exness does not need your password. Anyone on WhatsApp or Telegram offering to "manage" your account is a warning sign.

Frequently asked questions

Is Exness safe for Pakistani traders?

Exness states protections such as segregated accounts, negative balance protection and PCI DSS compliance. Separately, the SBP and SECP have issued warnings about offshore forex platforms, and those warnings bear on legal safety. Read both sides on this page and on Is Exness legal.

Is Exness trusted and regulated?

Exness entities hold licences from several regulators, listed above. You can confirm each licence on the regulator's own register. None of these is a Pakistani licence.

Can I lose more than I deposited?

Exness states that if a stop out would leave a negative balance, the balance is reset to zero. You can still lose your whole deposit.

Does negative balance protection stop losses?

No. It only covers the case where losses would go below zero. Losses down to zero are yours.

Who is responsible if my funds are lost?

That depends on the entity and its Client Agreement. Check which entity your account is registered to in the Personal Area footer, then read that agreement.

Where do I find more on payments?

See Deposits and withdrawals and check the methods shown in your Personal Area.