Partner Federation Glossary — last updated September 2026
Appointed Representative (AR) is a UK regulatory status that lets a firm carry out regulated activity — like introducing clients or promoting a broker — under the umbrella of an FCA-authorized “principal” firm, without needing its own full FCA license. The principal takes on responsibility for the AR’s compliance, and the AR has to operate within whatever scope the principal has approved for it.
Why It Matters for Partners
For UK-facing introducing brokers and marketing partners, AR status is often the realistic route into the market: full FCA authorization can require significant capital and a lengthy application, while becoming an AR of an already-authorized broker skips that — at the cost of operating under that broker’s rules, oversight, and sometimes fees. It’s worth confirming a UK-facing program’s AR arrangement (or lack of one) before promoting it, since operating without proper authorization or AR status is itself a regulatory problem, not just a technicality.
For the full breakdown of how licensing and registration requirements apply to partners across FCA, ASIC, and NFA jurisdictions, see Do You Need a License to Be a Forex or CFD Affiliate?