Smart Investor fees explained
Understanding your investment costs
Our fees are simple to understand, and we keep our costs low to help your money grow.
A simple, low-cost way to invest
No minimum fees, standing charges or per account fees. Just a single customer fee that is based on the total investment balance across all your investment accounts.
Customer fee
0.25% per year
on investment balances up to £200,000 – that’s just £25 per year on £10,000.
On balances over £200,000 it’s 0.05%.
Buying and selling shares online
£6 per trade
includes international shares, ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts.
A foreign exchange fee applies for international shares.
|
Activity |
Cost |
|---|---|
|
Buying and selling funds online |
No charge* |
|
Regular investments (including shares) |
No charge |
|
Dividend reinvestment |
No charge |
|
Holding cash |
|
|
Transferring investments |
No charge |
|
Cash withdrawal and account closure |
No charge |
*£25 per trade by telephone.
Taxes may apply when buying shares.
Learn more about our fees and Interest rates on cash.
You can also use our cost calculator to understand the charges that would apply.
Our awards
We were voted Best for Customer Service 2025 and Consumer Rated Value for Money 2025 from Boring Money, and Best Stockbroker 2023 and Best SIPP Provider 2024 at The Online Money awards(1)
“I was never particularly happy with my previous stocks and shares ISA provider, but it always seemed like too much hassle to switch. But they put the charges up – not for the first time – and it prompted me to look around. I bank with Barclays so looked at Smart Investor and the fees seemed competitive”
Harry, 32, London
Keep more of your money
Use our calculator to estimate the fees you may pay to invest with our accounts.
Fund management costs
Funds, ETFs and investment trusts all have their own built-in fees that cover the costs of running the fund. They are taken directly from the fund’s assets – and are factored into the return you get.
It’s important to check product charges before investing. You can find these and all other information and key documentation on the investment's product page on our website. Just use the search to find the investment you're looking for.
Pension account administration
If you have a Barclays SIPP, you'll pay an additional £125 + VAT per year to AJ Bell . This covers managing your pension. AJ Bell is a UK investment platform that provides services to both individual investors and financial advisors.
Learn more about SIPP fees [PDF, 524KB]
Interest rates
You’ll earn interest on any uninvested cash you hold in an Investment ISA and SIPP account.
If you hold an Investment Account, you can decide if you’re happy for us to automatically transfer any uninvested cash from your Investment Account to your Investment Saver . You can do this by selecting the option within the Investment Settings section of the website.
This won’t have any impact on your ability to trade as we will automatically move any cash needed to your Investment Account to fund investments, corporate actions and fees as required.
If you opted out of the Investment Saver, but would like to opt back in, please contact us.
Current rates
Rates from 30 October 2025
Barclays Investment Solutions Ltd holds all uninvested cash as Client Money with a selection of approved banks or other third parties. View details of the current panel.
We may receive bank interest on Client Money held in Client Money Bank Accounts. This will be retained by us and not paid to you. However, we may pay you a contractual rate of interest on your Client Money at rates determined by us and set out on our website. The rate of contractual interest is subject to change (upwards and downwards) and in certain circumstances we may cease to be able to pay it.
Interest is paid on the first day of each month, based on the cash held in your account the previous month. Rates may change from time to time. AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded once each year.
Foreign exchange fees
We charge a fee for converting currency when you buy and sell international shares. This fee depends on the amount traded.
First £5,000: 1% fee
Next £5,000: 0.75% fee
Next £15,000: 0.5% fee
Next £225,000: 0.25% fee
Over £250,000: 0.1% fee
You’ll see the fee before you trade and on your contract note (after you’ve done the trade).
We use a Barclays Group company for currency exchange – and aim to get you the best possible exchange rate. Please also note that currency fluctuations can affect the value of your investments.
Taxes and levies
You may need to pay taxes and levies when buying shares. These rates vary by country and can change.
UK taxes and levies
International taxes and levies
International brokerage charge
Understanding our fees
We want you to feel confident about your investments. That's why we’ve partnered with other platforms to create a free, easy-to-understand guide on fees. It explains how Barclays Smart Investor works, the different types of fees you might encounter, and what each fee means in plain English.
Read the Factsheet [PDF, 87KB]
Learn about Smart Investor
Start from £50
You can make one-off payments, set-up a regular monthly Direct Debit, or transfer existing investments to fund your account.
Secure
With 300 years’ experience and the latest technology, your money is in safe hands.
Easy to manage
You can can open an account, place a trade and check your investments anytime within Online Banking or the Barclays app.(2)
Wide investment choice
Choose from 8,000 investments across shares, funds, Exchange Traded Funds, gilts and bonds, investment trusts and more.
Investments can fall as well as rise so you might not get back what you invest. If you’re unsure which investments are right for you please seek independent advice. Tax rules can change, and any benefits depend on your circumstances.
View our range of accounts
Investment ISA
An Investment ISA is the most popular account. It’s tax-efficient so you won’t pay UK income or capital gains tax on any returns you make. You can invest up to £20,000 per tax year and withdraw your money at any time.
Investment Account
An Investment Account is ideal if you’ve already used your ISA allowance. It has no upper limit. You’ll earn interest on any cash held in this account and can withdraw your money at any time.
Self-Invested Personal Pension
A SIPP helps you prepare for retirement. You can access your pot from 55 (going up to 57 from 2028) and you may be eligible for tax relief on the money you pay in.
FAQs
No, there are no hidden charges with Barclays Smart Investor. We believe in complete transparency. All fees are clearly outlined, and there are no unexpected costs.
If you don't pay your fees on time, we may take action to recover the money. This could include selling some of your investments.
The amount of cash you hold depends on your personal circumstances. General market guidance is to aim for 3-6 months' living expenses as an emergency fund. Consider your financial goals, risk tolerance and the time period you’d be happy to hold an investment for when deciding how much cash to keep.
An Investment ISA (Stocks and Shares ISA) is a tax-efficient account meaning you don’t pay UK income or capital gains tax on any returns you make. It’s a flexible way to grow your money, allowing you to invest in shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), funds, bonds and more. Investments could also provide higher returns than cash over the long term .
An Investment Account is a flexible way to invest your money in shares, investment funds and other assets. Unlike ISAs, there's no annual limit on how much you can invest and any returns or income from your investments will be subject to tax. So, it's a great option if you've used up your ISA allowance or want to invest larger sums. You can also easily access your money when you need it.
A Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) is a tax-efficient way to save for retirement. You have control over your investments, choosing from a wide range of options like shares, funds and bonds. There are potential tax benefits while building a pension pot tailored to your financial goals.
Get help or contact us
Get the Barclays app
Join the 10 million Barclays app customers. If the account’s just for you and you’re over 18, you can use our app.
Important information
We are one of multiple platforms to win Boring Money's value for money award which was based on a survey of investment platform customers from December 2023 to December 2024. Please note this does not guarantee profits or necessarily mean we are the cheapest platform available.(Return to reference)
You need to be 18 or over and have a Barclays Current Account to use the app.(Return to reference)
Lines are open from 7:30am to 7pm Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 6pm on Friday and closed during weekends and public holidays. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. Call charges.(Return to reference)