A registration is a promise, not a result. The gap between registering and funding is where most IB owners quietly lose the traders they worked hardest to find.
What is registration-to-fund rate and why track it?
It is the share of people who register under your link and go on to make a first deposit. Track360 defines it as a core IB KPI. It does not publish a benchmark, so do not trust anyone who quotes you a "normal" number. Your own rate, tracked monthly, is the one that matters.
Source: Track360, Forex IB performance KPIs
Count three things for the last month: registrations, verified accounts and funded accounts. The step with the biggest drop is the one to fix first.
Where do traders get stuck at verification?
Verification (KYC) is the most common stall. The trader is keen when they register. Then the broker asks for ID, proof of address or a selfie, and the momentum stops.
- They did not know documents would be needed, so they close the app
- A photo is rejected for glare, a cropped edge or an old address
- They are waiting for approval and have no idea how long it takes
- They hit an error and assume the whole thing is broken
The fix is dull and effective. Before they start, tell them exactly what the broker will ask for. Check in once they have submitted. If something is rejected, tell them what to resubmit. Ask your broker what its usual timings and common rejection reasons are, and pass that on.
What happens when nobody follows up?
Silence. A trader registers at night, nobody messages them, and the next morning something else has their attention. The same speed effect applies as with first replies. HBR's research on online sales leads found that firms contacting leads within an hour were far more likely to qualify them than firms that waited longer. Our guide on slow DM replies explains why.
Source: HBR, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads (2011)
Meta's messaging rules add a deadline. When someone messages your business, a 24-hour window opens for replies, with promotional messages allowed inside it. Follow-up that happens after the window closes is more restricted.
One more habit helps. When you send the verification checklist, send it as a short list in the chat, not a paragraph. People screenshot it, tick it off and come back with a specific question, which is much easier to answer than a vague "it did not work".
Could they be using the wrong link?
More often than you would think. Check these yourself before you blame the trader:
- Open your link on a phone and a laptop, in a private window, and click through
- Make sure the link goes to the sign-up page you intend, not a generic home page
- Watch for in-app browsers that drop tracking
- Send the link on its own, so it does not get lost in a long message
- Ask your broker what happens if the trader already has an account with them
What are the leads who go cold costing you?
Put in your daily leads, how many join your link when you reply fast and how long an IB stays. See the daily cost of the ones who drift off.
Run my numbersIf you work with sub-IBs, share the same checklist with them. A sub-IB who sends traders to your link without telling them what verification involves creates the same drop-off, and you will not see it until the numbers arrive.
What should you track every week?
Three numbers are enough: how many traders registered, how many verified and how many funded. After a month you will see whether the leak is at the link, at verification or at the first deposit. Fix the biggest gap first and leave the rest until it improves.
- Registrations under your link
- Verified accounts
- Funded accounts
- How quickly you followed up on each stalled trader
Do not guess why a trader stalled. Ask them, kindly. One honest answer is worth more than a week of theories.
What should you say to a trader who has gone quiet?
Keep it light, specific and easy to answer. Refer to the exact step they reached, offer help, and ask one question. For example:
Hi Sam, I can see your account is registered. Verification can be fiddly. Did the ID upload go through, or shall I walk you through it?
Send one nudge the next day and one a few days later. Then stop. A third and fourth reminder turns help into pressure, and pressure is how you end up breaking the rules you meant to follow.
Why would they fund now and not next month?
This is where owners go wrong, usually by pushing. Do not hype the first deposit and do not suggest an amount. The decision is the trader's.
What you can do is answer what they are actually unsure about: what the account is, how funding works at your broker, what the minimum is and how withdrawals work. Be honest about risk. ESMA's 2018 review found that 74–89% of retail CFD accounts typically lose money. A trader who hears that from you before they fund trusts you more, not less, and is less likely to vanish after a bad first week.
Source: ESMA, 2018
Never promise profits and never say what to trade. Your marketing rules apply in private chats too.
What is the practical fix checklist?
| Stage | Where they stall | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| Link sent | Never registered | A short nudge the same day, with the link on its own |
| Registered | Has not started verification | "Here is what you will need": ID, address proof, a clear photo |
| Submitted | Waiting on approval | A check-in the next day, and an offer to help if rejected |
| Verified | Has not funded | Honest answers on funding, minimums and risk, no pressure |
Do this by hand for a month and you will see which stage leaks most. Doing it for every trader, every day, is what eats time. See how to onboard traders without doing it by hand.
That is the job Onyxlot's AI setter does. In your voice, it replies in under 10 seconds, 24/7, and walks each new trader through signing up on your IB link, verification and first deposit. Anything it cannot answer comes to you on Telegram.
Turn your sign-ups into funded accounts
Bring your registration and funded numbers. On the call we find the stage where traders drop off and show how it would be handled for you.
Book a callRun my numbers firstOnyxlot is a marketing and onboarding service, not a broker, and gives no financial advice. Trading CFDs and forex carries a high risk of losing money. See our disclaimer.