Direct Investing
Enjoy 2% cashback on your investments
INVESTMENTS
With Direct Investing, the new name for Smart Investor, get £20–£200 cashback when you open a new Investment (Stocks & Shares) ISA. Simply register your details and invest between £1k–£10k (after any sales you make) between 6 April and 15 May 2026. Invest £10k to receive the maximum £200 reward.
ISA rules and T&Cs apply. Capital at risk.
The value of investments can fall as well as rise so you may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and their effects vary depending on your individual circumstances. Please check the costs involved before transferring.
Why choose Direct Investing?
Direct Investing gives you the investment choice and research tools you need to help grow your money. Enjoy our award-winning accounts, expert insights and resources to help you work towards your financial goals.
Investment choice
Over 8,000 different investments to choose from
Accessible
Check your investments and trade anytime online or with the Barclays app
UK-based call centre
If you need any help or support our helpdesk is here for you
Award-winning
'Best Stocks & Shares ISA Provider 2025' at the Moneyfacts Awards and ‘Best Buy ISA 2026’ from Boring Money.(1)
Our awards
We were named ‘Best Stocks & Shares ISA Provider’ at the Moneyfacts Investment Life & Pensions Awards 2025. We were also voted Best Buy ISA 2026, Best for Customer Service 2026 and Value for Money Winner 2026 from Boring Money(2).
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.
Choose your account
Investment ISA
Otherwise known as a Stocks and Shares ISA, this is the most popular account people choose when they start to invest.
You can pay in up to £20,000 per tax year into our award winning ISA.
Any returns you make are tax free and you can withdraw cash when you like.
Investment Account
A flexible account if you’ve already used your ISA allowance for the current tax year OR you’re already paying into an ISA with another provider.
No limits on the amount you can invest and you can withdraw your cash at any time.
If you have investment accounts elsewhere, you can transfer them to us and benefit from having everything in one place. Transferring ISAs doesn’t affect their tax-efficient status and with any transfer, you should make sure that you don’t have to pay penalties or give up valuable benefits. Just let us know and we’ll manage the transfer for you.
Already have an investment account with us?
Fund your account
You have three ways to fund your Direct Investing account. Choose the option that best suits you and get started in minutes with your very own Investment Account (GIA) or Investment ISA.
1. Setup a direct debit
Setup a regular Direct Debit from your chosen UK Bank Account
2. Top up your account
Top-up online or by phone using a UK Debit Card in your name
3. Transfer funds
Transfer in by moving money from your Barclays account
Choose investments that suit you
I’d like some inspiration
Choose from one of our five Ready-made Investment funds based on the level of return you’re hoping for balanced against how you feel about taking investment risk
Put together by our team of investment professionals, who monitor them regularly to make sure they stay true to their objectives
I’d like to see the Barclays Funds List
See the Funds List that our experts have put together
Use funds to help balance your risk across different industries, geographic locations and investment types
I know what I’m doing
Choose from thousands of investments including funds, shares, gilts and bonds
Use the tools and insights in our Research Centre to make your own investment decisions
Already have an investment account with us?
Looking for Smart Investor?
Direct Investing is the new name for Smart Investor. We’re making this change because we want to provide more clarity that this service is for customers who want to make their own investment decisions.
You can choose from thousands of investments including funds, shares, gilts and bonds, and take advantage of our expert insights, research tools and resources to inform your decisions.
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 were named ‘Best Stocks & Shares ISA Provider’ at the Moneyfacts Investment Life & Pensions Awards 2025, and also voted Best Buy ISA 2026, Best for Customer Service 2026 and Value for Money Winner 2026 from Boring Money.(Return to reference)
We were named ‘Best Stocks & Shares ISA Provider’ at the Moneyfacts Investment Life & Pensions Awards 2025. We were also voted Best Buy ISA 2026, Best for Customer Service 2026 and Value for Money Winner 2026 from Boring Money.(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)