Investment Account
Low-cost investing with wide investment options
INVESTMENTS
Help grow your money from £50 with our low-cost Investment Account. Choose from a wide range of investments where you can withdraw your cash at any time and buy and sell funds for free online.
Capital at risk.
What is an Investment Account?
An Investment Account offers a flexible way to invest to help your money grow. You can choose from a range of funds, shares, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), bonds and more. There’s no upper limit, and you’re flexible to withdraw at any time. What’s more, any cash held in your Investment Account will automatically earn interest. Investments within this account aren’t sheltered from UK income or capital gains tax, so if you’ve already used your tax-free allowances, then an Investment Account could be a great option for you.
Wide investment choice
Choose from over 8,000 investments or select a Ready-made Investment and leave the rest to us.
Withdraw your money at any time
You can sell investments and withdraw your cash at any time. There are no fees for withdrawing cash.
Barclays Price Guarantee
Guarantees the best available price on a range of investments every single time you place a trade.(1)
The value of investments can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invest. If you’re unsure which investments are right for you, please seek independent advice. Tax rules can change, and their effects will depend on your individual circumstances.
Open your account in three simple steps
1. Choose your account
The Investment Account has no upper limit and no restrictions on withdrawals. This account is popular with investors who have used their ISA allowance.
2. Decide how much to invest
Get started with just £50 and set up a monthly Direct Debit. There’s no charge to add to your account or make withdrawals.
3. Pick your investments
It’s easy to choose from over 8,000 investments or let the experts give you a hand with our Ready-made Investments.
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(2)
Thousands of customers are signing up to invest through Smart Investor
“I’m now investing monthly to build up my investments going forward”
- Alison, 56, Lancashire
Why choose our Investment Account?
Low fees
One low annual fee, and no charge for many of our services including buying and selling funds online, withdrawing cash, and opening your account which keeps more money in your pocket. You can find out more about our fees here.
Easy to manage
It’s easy to open an account, place a trade and check your investments anytime within Online Banking or the Barclays app.(3) If you need more support, we have a UK-based team on the phone to help.
Earn interest
Earn interest on cash held in your Investment Account. See the current interest rates.
Secure
We are a FTSE 100 listed business with 48 million customers worldwide. We’re the first bank to achieve BSI KITEMARK™ for Secure Digital Banking.
Choose how you want to invest
We offer more than 8,000 investments including UK and international shares and over 2,400 funds, meaning you can build a portfolio to fit your exact goals. You can also leave the hard work to us by choosing from five Ready Made Investment funds.
Earn interest on cash
When you open an Investment Account, you’ll gain access to our Investment Saver service. This means you can earn interest on any uninvested cash you hold in your Investment Account. Find out more about the Investment Saver.
Any cash held in your Investment Saver will earn:
1.26% AER
per year variable for balances from £1
Thousands of customers are opening Smart Investor accounts
“Barclays made it easy to start investing”
- Graham, 60, Oxfordshire
A simple, low-cost fee structure
Customer fee
0.25% p.a.
up to £200,000
and 0.05% on investments over £200,000
Buying and selling shares online*
£6
per trade**
Free to invest in funds online
|
Activity |
Cost |
|---|---|
|
Buying and selling funds online |
No charge** |
|
Regular investments (including shares) |
No charge |
|
Dividend reinvestment |
No charge |
|
Holding cash |
No charge |
|
Transferring investments |
No charge |
|
Cash withdrawal and account closure |
No charge |
*Including ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts
**£25 per trade by telephone. Taxes may apply when buying shares. A foreign exchange and an international brokerage fee will be charged when trading international shares.
Learn more about our fees and Interest rates on cash.
You can also use our simple cost calculator to understand the charges that would apply.
Transfer your investments to us
If you have Investment Accounts elsewhere, you can transfer them to us at any time. First, you’ll need to open a Smart Investor account. Then, once your account is open, you can start the transfer process. Before transferring you should make sure you understand any penalties you may have to pay or benefits you may lose.
Learn more about our Investment Account
If you have a Barclays Investment ISA, or use Barclays Online Banking to manage a current account, you can log in and make it simpler to apply for an Investment Account. If you don’t have a Barclays Investment ISA and don’t use Barclays Online Banking to manage a current account, it’s still easy to apply for an Investment Account.
Yes – you can sell investments and withdraw your cash at any time. There is no charge to withdraw your cash.
The key differences between an ISA and an Investment Account are the tax and the upper investment limit. Within an ISA your investments are protected from UK income and capital gains tax. Investment Accounts do not shelter your income or profits from tax.
There is an upper limit on how much you can put into a UK ISA in a tax year. Currently the ISA limit is £20,000. There is no upper limit on investment within an Investment Account.
Yes, you can open and pay into as many Investment Accounts as you wish.
You can add money to your Investment Account with a debit card, a monthly Direct Debit or by moving money from your Barclays account.
You may also be interested in
Most popular investments
Find a list of the most popular funds, UK, and international shares (including US), ETFs, and investment trusts as chosen by our customers and the top fund picks by the type of account.
Investment (Stocks and Shares ISA)
Tax-efficient, simple, and low-cost investing of up to £20,000 per tax year. Our ISAs are simple-to-use and come with dedicated UK customer support.
Self-Invested Personal Pension
A tax-efficient way to save for retirement.
Let us help you build your retirement pot and make your own investment decisions.
Important information
91.19% of qualifying deals placed between January 2024 and December 2024 got a better price than the quoted price on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Applies to deals placed on the London Stock Exchange within a Smart Investor Account across the following asset classes: stocks and shares, Exchange Traded Funds, investment trusts and Real Estate Investment Trusts. Please note that as of January 2019 deals placed to facilitate Bed & ISA, Dividend Reinvestment and Regular Investment are no longer included in the Price Improver calculations. Explore Barclays Price Improver.(Return to reference)
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 7:00pm Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 6:00pm on Friday, and closed during weekends and public holidays. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. (Return to reference)