Why link your Interactive Brokers account to ProRealTime?
Requesting the link takes about two minutes from your Interactive Brokers account settings, and it’s usually approved within two to three business days. Interactive Brokers keeps executing your orders and giving you access to its markets, while ProRealTime adds account support and its trading platforms, including free access to ProRealTime Complete in PaperTrading. [1] [2]
Your account, positions and logins stay the same, and you get a dedicated account manager you can reach by phone or by email. Your orders move to ProRealTime’s Trader pricing: 0.06% of the trade value on European stocks, with a €1 minimum, plus exchange fees. On small orders, that can cost less than Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing, which charges at least €3 per order, but the advantage disappears at around €4,000. [3] [4] [5] ProRealTime also refunds up to €100 of the transaction fees you pay in the six months after linking, provided the account holds at least €3,000 over that period, excluding profits and losses. You claim the refund by email between the sixth and twelfth month. [1]
Interactive Brokers’ markets, with ProRealTime’s support
Linking your Interactive Brokers account to ProRealTime doesn’t mean switching brokers. Your account stays open with Interactive Brokers, which keeps executing your orders and holding your funds and securities. Your positions, open orders and order history stay where they are. [1] [2]
From then on, ProRealTime becomes your point of contact for any question about your account or about using the trading platforms, and its own pricing applies to your orders.
In Interactive Brokers’ terms, ProRealTime is your introducing broker: the firm that manages your client relationship while Interactive Brokers executes your orders. [6] ProRealTime SAS is a French investment firm authorized by the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) to receive and transmit orders, and also supervised by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). [2]
Once the link is in place, you log in to Interactive Brokers as before, with the same username, password and two-factor authentication. Client Portal, IBKR Desktop, TWS, IBKR Mobile and GlobalTrader keep your settings and preferences. [1]
If you hold several accounts with Interactive Brokers Ireland or Interactive Brokers UK, you can link all of them. [1]
A dedicated account manager
Interactive Brokers runs its client service from centers across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and recommends starting with IBot, its automated assistant, for the fastest answers. [7]
With a linked account, you get a dedicated account manager, reachable on their direct line or by email. ProRealTime’s support comes from its own in-house staff, in several languages, with no bots in between. [2] [1]
Your account manager helps you with every Interactive Brokers platform, from Client Portal to IBKR Mobile, and with running your account: login issues, security, statements, deposits and withdrawals. When needed, they can walk you through it live with a screen-sharing tool. [1] You can also close a position by phone, for €30 per order on top of the normal brokerage fee. [8]
Your brokerage fees, before and after linking
At Interactive Brokers, you choose your pricing plan in Client Portal. [9] Fixed pricing already includes exchange, clearing and regulatory fees. Tiered pricing falls as your monthly volume grows and, like ProRealTime’s pricing, adds those fees on top. [5] Once your account is linked, your orders move to ProRealTime’s Trader pricing. [1]
| Stocks, France and Germany | ProRealTime + Interactive Brokers* | Interactive Brokers, fixed pricing** | Interactive Brokers, tiered pricing* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | 0.06% | 0.05% | 0.05% |
| Minimum per order | €1 | €3 | €1.25 |
Compared with Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing, the offer pays off on small orders. In ProRealTime’s own examples, a €2,000 order on Euronext costs €1.62 with Trader pricing, exchange fees included, against €3 all-in with fixed pricing. [2] [4] [5] The advantage disappears at around €4,000. Above that, fixed pricing is cheaper: in the example ProRealTime publishes, a €6,000 purchase of a Euronext Paris blue chip costs €4.36 including exchange fees, against €3 with fixed pricing. [8] [5] Spanish stocks are the exception: Trader pricing charges 0.11% with a €4.95 minimum, exchange fees included, against 0.05% with a €3 minimum on Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing. [4] [8] [5]
Compared with tiered pricing, the gap is small. The minimum drops from €1.25 to €1, but the rate rises from 0.05% to 0.06%. [4] [5] ProRealTime’s remuneration is precisely the difference between its pricing and Interactive Brokers’ tiered pricing: in the same €6,000 example, tiered pricing comes to €3.76. [8] On US stocks, Trader pricing charges the same commission as Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing, $0.005 per share with a $1 minimum, but adds exchange fees that fixed pricing already includes. [4] [10]
On European futures, Trader pricing matches Interactive Brokers’ tiered commissions up to 1,000 contracts a month. Beyond that, Interactive Brokers’ tiered pricing keeps falling. [11]
Against fixed pricing, it depends on the contract.
- On the CAC 40 future (FCE), ProRealTime lists €0.43 in exchange and clearing fees, so you pay €1.33 in total, against €2 with Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing. [12] [11]
- On the DAX future (FDAX), exchange and clearing fees come to €1.50, so you pay €2.40, and fixed pricing at €2 works out cheaper.
- On US futures, you pay $0.25 per micro contract and $0.85 per standard contract, plus exchange and regulatory fees, the same as with Interactive Brokers. [12] [13]
Up to €100 in fees refunded over your first six months
ProRealTime refunds the transaction fees you pay in the six months after linking, up to €100 per client, whether you’re an individual or a company. If you paid €80 in fees over that period, you get €80 back. If you paid €130, you get €100. [1]
Three conditions apply.
- Your account keeps a balance of at least €3,000 for those six months, excluding profits and losses.
- Only the commissions for executing your orders count.
- You send your request by email to [email protected], between six and twelve months after linking.
The refund is credited to your linked Interactive Brokers account. [1]
Your platforms: Interactive Brokers’ and ProRealTime’s
After linking, you keep access to Client Portal, TWS, IBKR Desktop and IBKR Mobile. On top of those, you get ProRealTime’s Web and Mobile platforms, which you log in to with a separate ProRealTime username. They’re free, with no expiry date. [2]
Orders you place from ProRealTime’s platforms are received and transmitted by ProRealTime. [2] To trade your Interactive Brokers account from them, a few extra steps are needed in your ProRealTime account settings, and ProRealTime’s team tells you how. [1] Orders you place on Interactive Brokers’ platforms go straight to Interactive Brokers, but they’re charged at the same ProRealTime pricing. [8]
Real-time prices
Every ProRealTime license includes real-time prices on US and European stocks from Cboe, plus gold and silver spot, forex and cryptocurrencies. Another 30 markets are available in real time as add-ons, from €2 a month excluding VAT. They include Eurex, French and CME futures and options, as well as indices and US stock options. [14]
ProRealTime Complete, free in PaperTrading
As long as your account stays linked, you get free, unlimited access to ProRealTime Complete in PaperTrading, instead of €24 a month excluding VAT. It’s software you install on your computer. [1] [2] To trade with real money from ProRealTime Complete, you contact ProRealTime. [1]
Here are some of its tools: [15]
- More than 100 indicators, including ProRealTime’s own PRT Bands, and more than 40 drawing tools.
- Heikin-Ashi and Renko charts, and tick-by-tick, x-tick and x-volume charts. Market Profile is available as an additional service, for €19 a month excluding VAT. [14]
- ProScreener to scan the markets, and ProRealTrend to draw support, resistance and trend lines automatically.
- Alerts by email or SMS, even when the software is closed. They can also send an order to open or close a position.
- ProOrder, to automate a strategy and test it on a virtual portfolio before running it live.
Link your Interactive Brokers account to ProRealTime
You send the request from Interactive Brokers’ Client Portal, and it takes about two minutes. Follow the step-by-step tutorial. [16]
Scroll down the page to move forward.
Open your Interactive Brokers account settings
Log in to Interactive Brokers' Client Portal, on the website of the entity where you opened your account:
- Interactive Brokers Ireland: interactivebrokers.ie
- Interactive Brokers UK: interactivebrokers.co.uk
Click the icon in the top-right corner, then "Settings".
If your account was opened with another Interactive Brokers entity, contact ProRealTime.
Open account linking
In Settings, under "Account Configuration", click "Manage Account Linking".
Choose to link to a broker
Select "Link my Existing Account to an Advisor/Broker", then click "Continue".
Accept the terms of use
Before you continue, ProRealTime asks you to accept the terms of use of its service.
Read the terms, then click "I accept the terms of use".
To see the details you need to link your account, please read the terms of use of the service.
You accepted the terms of use on .
Enter ProRealTime's account details
Fill in the two fields with these values. The ID depends on the Interactive Brokers entity that holds your account.
- "Advisor/Broker Account ID", if your account is with Interactive Brokers Ireland
- "Advisor/Broker Account ID", if your account is with Interactive Brokers UK
-
"Advisor/Broker Account Title"
ProRealTime
The IDs appear once you accept the terms of use in .
Then click "Continue".
Sign the request
In the "Sign Here" field of each agreement that appears, type your first and last name exactly as they appear to the left of the field.
Send the request
Click "Continue". Interactive Brokers may ask you to confirm your identity with a code it sends you by email.
Confirm your contact details
Enter your email address and mobile number, then click "Complete my request".
We pass your request on to ProRealTime, which uses these details to let you know when your account is linked.
You accepted ProRealTime's terms of use on .
First, accept ProRealTime's terms of use in .
Syntax Finance, publisher of NewTrading, uses these details only to pass your linking request on to ProRealTime. You can ask for them to be deleted by writing to [email protected].
Learn more about how we handle personal data.
If you’d rather be guided through it, you can ask for a callback from an account manager on ProRealTime’s linking page.
The link is usually approved within two to three business days. In the meantime, you can keep using your account and trading as usual, and ProRealTime’s team can already help you. [1] When you link your account to a broker, you keep access to TWS and your market data subscriptions aren’t canceled. [17] According to Interactive Brokers’ confirmation screen, your open GTC orders aren’t canceled either. [18]
Frequently asked questions about linking ProRealTime and Interactive Brokers
Is ProRealTime a broker?
In Interactive Brokers’ terms, ProRealTime is an introducing broker. ProRealTime SAS is a French investment firm authorized by the ACPR and supervised by the AMF to receive and transmit orders. Interactive Brokers executes your orders and holds your funds and securities.
Can you undo the link afterward?
Yes. You just contact ProRealTime to switch back to the exact conditions you had before linking.
Can you link an account held with another broker?
The process depends on the broker, so check with ProRealTime. Such an account may also qualify for the refund of up to €100 in fees.
How long does linking take?
The request takes about two minutes in Client Portal, and approval usually comes within two to three business days. ProRealTime’s support starts as soon as you send the request.
Does linking always lower your fees?
No. Compared with Interactive Brokers’ fixed pricing, the offer is cheaper on small stock orders on most European markets and on some futures, such as the CAC 40 future. Fixed pricing works out cheaper on stock orders above about €4,000, on all Spanish stock orders and on futures such as the DAX. Compared with tiered pricing, the difference is small: commissions are identical on European futures up to 1,000 contracts a month, and on stocks ProRealTime has a lower minimum, €1 against €1.25, but a higher rate, 0.06% against 0.05%.
Article sources
Audrey holds a Diploma in Accounting and Financial Studies (DECF) and has over 15 years of professional experience in the banking and accounting sectors.
