Same-Method Withdrawal Rule
Brokers & RegulationMoney must leave by the route it arrived on, in your own name. Deposits refund to the original card or wallet first; only profit goes to a bank account.
The same-method withdrawal rule is the requirement that money leaves an account by the route it arrived on, and to a payment instrument in the account holder's own name. Deposit £2,000 by card and the first £2,000 of any withdrawal must be refunded to that card; only the profit above it can be paid out to a bank account. It is an anti-money-laundering control, not a broker preference — a firm that let clients wash funds in by card and out by wire would be failing its own obligations.
The practical consequences arrive quietly. An expired or cancelled card blocks the refund leg until the issuer confirms a replacement, e-wallet deposits generally force the payout back to the same wallet, and funds sent from a spouse's or company account are usually rejected outright at withdrawal rather than at deposit. Checking the withdrawal section of the terms before choosing how to fund saves the argument later.