PU Prime Review: Regulation Warnings and Costs

Pacific Union (PU Prime): Overall Positioning and Regulatory Risk Warning

Important note: Pacific Union has been renamed PU Prime. According to publicly available information, the broker’s Seychelles entity has received regulatory warnings or blacklist markings from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) and France’s Financial Markets Authority (AMF). The UK FCA clearly warned the public that they “should avoid dealing with this firm.” Investors should pay close attention to these regulatory risks before making a choice.

Pacific Union, now branded as PU Prime, was founded in 2015 and registered in Seychelles. It is a multi-asset broker focused on online trading services. According to its official materials, the platform claims to serve more than 120 countries and regions worldwide, offering more than 200 tradable products including currency pairs, precious metals, commodities, stock indices, stocks and cryptocurrencies. It also has representative offices or service centers in Australia, Spain, Malaysia, Canada and Cyprus. Overall, PU Prime seeks to differentiate itself through low spreads, broad product coverage and mobile trading experience, but the risk factors in its regulatory structure should not be ignored.

Based on the submitted materials and publicly verified information, PU Prime’s main features can be summarized as follows:

• More than 200 tradable instruments, covering forex, precious metals, energy, stock indices, stocks, cryptocurrencies and other asset classes

• ECN account spreads from as low as 0.0, commission-free Standard accounts, and a fee structure with some flexibility

• Provides MT4, MT5, WebTrader, MAM multi-account management and a proprietary mobile app

• Copy trading functionality has received industry recognition, winning Best Copy Trading Platform at the ProFX Awards Dubai 2025

• Minimum deposit of only USD 20, according to official website information, creating a low entry threshold

• Acquired Admirals’ Australian subsidiary in 2025 and obtained a full ASIC license (AFSL 410681)

At the same time, the following issues and risks require particular attention:

• The main operating entity is registered in Seychelles, where regulatory standards are relatively loose and the jurisdiction is not considered a globally recognized strict regulatory center

• It has received three regulatory warnings or blacklist markings from the UK FCA, Denmark’s FSA and France’s AMF

• WikiFX’s review states that it lacks a verifiable forex trading license from a major financial regulator

• Multiple third-party platforms contain user complaints about withdrawal difficulties and account closures

• Different legal entities may be used for account opening in different jurisdictions, resulting in significant differences in investor protection

• The FINTRAC (Canada) and NFA (United States) numbers mentioned in the original materials may involve registration only, rather than full regulatory authorization

From the perspective of suitable users, PU Prime may have some appeal at the trading conditions level for experienced traders who can independently assess offshore regulatory risks and mainly pursue low spreads and broad product coverage. However, for beginner investors with lower risk tolerance, especially users from countries or regions where regulatory warnings have already been issued, regulatory risk should be placed as the top consideration. In addition, conservative investors seeking stronger fund safety protection may be better suited to brokers directly authorized by top-tier regulators such as the FCA, ASIC or CySEC.

Core Information Overview

The minimum deposit information in the table above differs across sources. The original materials submitted by the user indicate a minimum deposit of USD 100, while PU Prime’s current official website states that the minimum deposit can be as low as USD 20. This difference may reflect changes in conditions across different periods or account types. In addition, regarding platform support, the original materials only mention MT4, WebTrader and MAM, while third-party review sites and official website information indicate that PU Prime currently also supports MT5 and its proprietary mobile app.

Regulation and Trustworthiness

Seychelles FSA Regulation Details

Pacific Union (Seychelles) Limited is authorized and regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA), license number SD050. The Seychelles FSA is a legitimate financial regulator, but its strictness and enforcement capability within the global financial regulatory system differ clearly from recognized top-tier regulators such as the UK FCA, Australia’s ASIC and Cyprus’s CySEC. Under the Seychelles regulatory framework, client fund protection requirements, capital adequacy standards and dispute resolution mechanisms are usually less comprehensive than those in the above top-tier jurisdictions. For investors who value regulatory protection, this is a fundamental factor that must be taken seriously.

Regulatory Warnings From Multiple Jurisdictions

According to publicly available information, PU Prime’s Seychelles entity has received at least three warnings or adverse markings from European regulators:

The nature and severity of these three regulatory actions differ, but they all point to one fact: in several European countries, PU Prime’s Seychelles entity is considered not to meet local financial service compliance requirements. For investors from these countries or regions, these warnings are directly relevant. If they trade with PU Prime within these regulatory jurisdictions, local regulators may not be able to provide any form of protection. For investors from other regions, these warnings should also be treated as an important reference when assessing the broker’s overall compliance culture.

Other Regulatory and Registration Information

The original materials mention several related entities and registration numbers, including Pacific Union Securities Limited’s registration with Canada’s FINTRAC (number M20454759), its registration with the US NFA (number 0528809), and Pacific Union LLC’s registration with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines FSA (number 271 LLC 2020). It is important to distinguish that registration and regulation are two different concepts. FINTRAC is mainly responsible for anti-money laundering supervision rather than trading conduct regulation, and certain NFA registration types may only involve basic filing rather than full customer protection authorization. When evaluating the broker, investors should confirm the specific entity with which they open an account and the actual protection scope of that entity’s license.

It is worth noting that, according to financial media reports, PU Prime acquired the Australian subsidiary of Admirals, formerly Admiral Markets, and thereby obtained a full Australian financial services license from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), AFSL 410681. ASIC is one of the globally recognized top-tier regulators, and this acquisition means PU Prime has made an important step forward at the regulatory level. However, this ASIC license corresponds to an independent Australian legal entity, PU Prime Trading Pty Ltd, rather than the Seychelles entity. If a user’s account-opening entity is the Seychelles company, the user cannot directly enjoy investor protection under the ASIC license. Users should clearly confirm which legal entity they are assigned to when opening an account.

Fund Safety Mechanisms

PU Prime states that client funds are held in segregated accounts and custodied by AA-rated banks. Segregated accounts are standard practice in the brokerage industry and can help prevent brokers from misappropriating client funds to some extent. However, the actual level of protection provided by segregated accounts depends on the legal enforcement capability of the jurisdiction. The enforcement standards for fund segregation and the efficiency of dispute resolution under the Seychelles legal framework may differ from those in mature markets such as the United Kingdom and Australia. In addition, Seychelles FSA regulation does not provide statutory investor compensation protection similar to the UK FSCS, which offers compensation of up to GBP 85,000, or Australian compensation mechanisms.

User feedback on third-party review platforms is also divided. Trustpilot shows a rating of 4.5 stars based on a relatively large review sample, with some users recognizing the platform’s speed and low spreads. However, some users have also reported account closures and withdrawal delays. Forex Peace Army also contains complaints regarding profit cancellation and hedging issues. These comments cannot all be equated with safety problems, but they at least indicate that there are operational stability issues worth attention.

Fees and Real Usage Costs

Spreads and Commissions

PU Prime provides two main account types, each with a different fee structure. The Standard account uses a pure floating spread model and does not charge commissions, making it suitable for users with lower trading frequency or smaller single trade sizes. The ECN account, also called the Prime account, offers spreads from as low as 0.0 but charges a fixed commission. According to information from third-party review sites, the commission is approximately USD 1 to USD 3.5 per lot per side, or USD 2 to USD 7 round turn, making it suitable for high-frequency or larger-capital traders seeking the tightest possible spreads.

For users, which account to choose depends on trading frequency and holding period. If the number of trades per month is small, the commission-free advantage of the Standard account is more obvious. However, if average daily trading volume is high, the low spreads of the ECN account combined with fixed commissions may provide a stronger advantage in total cost. It is particularly important to note that the ECN account’s “0.0 spread” is a starting value, not an average value. During periods of insufficient liquidity or severe market volatility, actual spreads may widen significantly. When comparing fees, users should focus on the platform’s displayed “average spread” data rather than looking only at the minimum value.

Overnight Financing and Holding Costs

Holding positions overnight generates swap fees, with the specific amount varying by instrument and position direction. PU Prime publishes swap values for each instrument on its official website, which users can review before trading. It is worth noting that for forex instruments held overnight on Wednesday, swap fees are usually charged at three times the normal amount to cover weekend interest settlement. This is standard industry practice, but it can easily be overlooked by beginners. If a user’s strategy involves frequent overnight holding, accumulated swap fees can become a considerable cost. According to estimates in PU Prime’s official website article, if about 30% of trades are held overnight, monthly swap fees may be around USD 8 to USD 12.

Hidden Cost Warning

In terms of inactivity fees, multiple third-party review sites confirm that PU Prime does not charge account inactivity fees. This is a positive point for users who do not plan to trade frequently, as their account balance will not gradually be consumed by monthly management fees even if the account remains inactive for a long time.

In terms of currency conversion costs, according to WikiFX, PU Prime may have currency conversion fees that are not clearly disclosed. If the account base currency differs from the deposit currency, such as depositing RMB into a USD account, additional costs may arise during currency conversion. For Chinese users depositing via UnionPay or Alipay, it is advisable to pay attention to the difference between the actual credited amount and the expected amount in order to determine whether there is any hidden currency conversion markup. Such fees may not necessarily be large, but they should not be ignored in the overall calculation of trading costs.

In terms of deposit and withdrawal fees, PU Prime officially states that it does not charge deposit or withdrawal fees. However, third-party payment channels such as bank wire transfers and e-wallets may charge their own fees. These fees are not charged by the broker, but they affect the actual amount received by users. For users using bank wire transfers, intermediary bank charges are a relatively common hidden cost.

Platform and Trading Experience

Platform Diversity

PU Prime provides multiple trading platform options, covering different types of trading needs. Based on the original materials and third-party information, the main platforms include:

From the perspective of platform coverage, PU Prime offers a reasonably broad selection. MT4 and MT5 are the most mature third-party trading platforms in the industry, with large user bases and rich plugin ecosystems. The proprietary PU Prime App differentiates itself in mobile experience by integrating trading, analysis and copy trading functions, making it relatively convenient for users accustomed to mobile operation. However, compared with some competitors that provide proprietary professional desktop platforms, PU Prime’s platform innovation is mainly concentrated on mobile, while its desktop experience still relies on the MT4/MT5 system.

Mobile Experience

PU Prime’s proprietary mobile app supports both iOS and Android systems and is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. According to official information, the app integrates trade execution, account management and market analysis functions. According to media reports, the PU Prime App won a   award from The Global Economics.

However, it should be noted that according to legal industry media reports, Google once restricted access to PU Prime app content on Google Play in certain regions, which may be related to France’s AMF blacklist marking. For users from relevant regions, the app’s availability may be affected. In addition, although mobile trading has advantages in convenience, it is still less suitable than desktop platforms for complex chart analysis and multi-window operation. For traders centered on technical analysis, desktop platforms such as MT4 and MT5 are usually the more practical choice.

Copy Trading

Copy trading is one of PU Prime’s relatively prominent features. The platform allows users to automatically copy the trading strategies of other traders, enabling market participation without independent market analysis. PU Prime’s copy trading function integrates risk control tools, allowing users to set stop-loss and take-profit parameters to manage the risk of copied trades. According to Finance Magnates, PU Prime’s copy trading platform won the “Best Copy Trading Platform” award at the ProFX Awards Dubai 2025.

For beginner investors who lack independent analytical capability but still want to participate in the market, copy trading provides a lower entry threshold. However, it must be clearly understood that copy trading does not eliminate risk. The trader being copied may also lose money, and the copier’s account will bear losses simultaneously. Strong historical performance does not guarantee future returns. When selecting traders to follow, users should fully understand key metrics such as trading style, maximum drawdown and historical win rate. PU Prime’s official website also provides introductory guides and risk warnings about copy trading, which users are advised to read carefully before enabling this function.

Demo Account

PU Prime provides a free demo account service, allowing users to become familiar with platform operation and trading processes in an environment without real capital risk. A demo account is important for assessing platform suitability, especially when choosing between MT4 and the PU Prime App, or when testing spread performance on an ECN account. For any broker, fully testing through a demo account before making a real deposit is a basic step in reducing selection risk.

Product Range and Market Coverage

PU Prime has relatively broad coverage in tradable instruments, claiming to provide more than 200 trading products across the following asset classes:

• Currency pairs: covering major currency pairs, minor currency pairs and some emerging-market currency pairs

• Precious metals: gold, silver and more

• Commodities: including energy products such as Brent crude oil and US crude oil

• Stock indices: major global stock indices

• Stocks: stock CFDs

• Cryptocurrencies: CFDs on major cryptocurrencies

In terms of product breadth, more than 200 tradable instruments place PU Prime at a mid-to-upper level in the industry. Its coverage of forex, precious metals, energy and stock indices basically meets mainstream trading needs, while the addition of stocks and cryptocurrencies provides extra choices for users seeking diversified allocation. Compared with brokers that have narrower product coverage, PU Prime has some advantage in this dimension.

However, the practical meaning of different instruments needs to be assessed separately. Forex and precious metals markets have abundant liquidity and relatively stable spread data, making them the main trading areas for most retail traders. Cryptocurrency CFDs provide a way to participate in the crypto market, but their volatility is far higher than that of traditional instruments, and spreads are usually wider, placing higher demands on risk management and cost control. Stock CFDs give users a way to participate in share price movements without directly holding the shares, but users should note that CFDs are not the same as holding stocks. Investors do not enjoy shareholder rights, and holding costs such as overnight fees may be higher than direct stock ownership.

In addition, all instruments are offered in the form of contracts for difference, meaning users trade price-difference contracts rather than the underlying assets themselves. CFD trading involves leverage, which magnifies both profits and losses and requires strong risk control capability. If users are not familiar enough with how CFDs work, they are advised to fully understand them in a demo account before considering whether to commit real funds.

Supporting Resources

Educational Resources

According to information from third-party review sites, PU Prime provides a certain range of educational resources, including Trading Academy content, beginner guides and strategy explanations. PU Prime’s official website also publishes feature articles on topics such as copy trading, copy trading versus manual trading, and related mechanisms. These materials may be useful for users who want to understand how copy trading works.

Overall, PU Prime’s educational resources are at a mid-to-upper level in the industry. For users who already have basic trading knowledge, its educational content can provide some additional knowledge and strategy inspiration. However, for complete beginners, relying only on the platform’s educational materials may not be sufficient to build a complete trading knowledge system, especially in the two key areas of risk management and capital planning, where more systematic learning through external resources is usually needed.

The impact of this point differs across user profiles. If users plan to use the copy trading function, PU Prime’s copy trading education content may partly make up for lack of experience. But if users intend to analyze and trade independently, the requirements for their own analytical capability and risk control ability will not be reduced by the platform’s educational resources. Educational support is always auxiliary and cannot replace users’ own knowledge accumulation and risk awareness.

Research Content

PU Prime’s mobile app integrates market analysis tools. According to FXEmpire’s review, the app . The market information provided by the platform includes real-time quotes, chart analysis and basic market data. However, for users who rely on brokers to provide in-depth research support, PU Prime’s research content may not be sufficient. Its research tools focus more on basic data display and charting functions rather than independent in-depth market research reports or continuous output from a professional analyst team.

For traders with independent research and analysis systems, the strength or weakness of broker research content has relatively limited impact. But for users who want to complete the entire “information acquisition—decision-making—trade execution” process on the same platform, insufficient research depth means they need to rely on additional third-party information sources, increasing the workload of information integration. If research support is an important consideration when choosing a broker, this point should be evaluated in advance.

Copy Trading

As mentioned in the platform section above, copy trading is a distinctive function of PU Prime. It allows users to automatically copy the strategies of selected traders, and the platform provides risk control parameter settings. PU Prime’s copy trading function has received industry award recognition, but users need to understand that copy trading is not a risk-free investment method. The historical performance of the trader being copied does not represent future returns, and under extreme market conditions, copy trading may experience slippage or delayed stop-loss execution due to insufficient liquidity. Users considering this function are advised to start with small amounts, diversify across multiple traders, and set clear risk control parameters.

Deposits and Withdrawals

PU Prime supports multiple deposit and withdrawal methods, covering the common needs of users in different regions:

For Chinese users, PU Prime’s support for UnionPay and Alipay deposits is a relatively convenient feature. The original materials also mention that withdrawals have “no fees and instant arrival.” However, it should be noted that “instant arrival” may refer to the broker-side processing speed, while the actual arrival time still depends on the processing efficiency of banks or payment channels. In addition, different deposit methods may have different minimum amount requirements, and the latest platform policy at the time of account opening should prevail.

PU Prime follows anti-money laundering principles, so withdrawals usually need to be returned through the original deposit channel. This means that if a user deposits via UnionPay, withdrawals will also be prioritized through the UnionPay channel. The specific cost of currency conversion is not fully disclosed by the platform, so Chinese users are advised to pay attention to whether the actual credited amount matches expectations during real operations.

Overall, PU Prime’s deposit and withdrawal system performs well in terms of method diversity, covering multiple channels from bank wire transfers and e-wallets to Alipay. The absence of platform-side deposit and withdrawal fees is also a positive point. However, it must be emphasized again that while considering deposit and withdrawal convenience, regulatory risk factors, as analyzed in detail above, should be given a higher priority.

Questions About Pacific Union