HSBC stocks and shares ISA review: Is it worth it?

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for reference purposes only. Wise does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and all information on this page should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. Remember that investments, even in low-risk funds, are never guaranteed and your capital is at risk.

Considering opening a new stocks and shares ISA, or switching providers? Whether you’re a new or experienced investor, you’ll find that there are lots of different investment ISAs available in the UK.

One popular provider is HSBC, which has a Stocks and Shares ISA available to open online.

To help you decide if it’s the right option for you, we’ve put together a full HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA review. We’ll cover everything you need to know, including commission and trading fees, features, eligibility and how to start trading stock.

So, let’s get started.

Who the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA is best for?

The HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA is suitable for anyone looking to make a long-term investment in the stock market, without having to pay tax on any gains. This includes both new and more experienced investors.

You can choose from ready-made portfolios, managed on your behalf, or choose your own investments.

You can do this by investing in funds via the HSBC Global Investment Centre, or buy shares using an InvestDirect (UK shares only) or InvestDirect Plus (UK and international shares) account.

It’s also best for people who prefer and are happy to manage their investments online, rather than those who want face-to-face or over the phone assistance.

Read more about how stocks and shares ISAs work below.

📚How stocks and shares ISAs work

Who can open an account?

To be eligible for the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:¹

• You’re a UK tax resident (you’ll also need a permanent UK residential address if you want to access the HSBC online fund platform)
• You’re at least 18 years old
• You’re not a US citizen, national or resident
• You have a HSBC current account or savings account.

If you’re choosing a ready-made portfolio, you’ll also need to have £50 to invest.²

To apply, you’ll need your National Insurance (NI) number to hand, along with personal details including your current and previous home addresses.

What currencies are supported?

HSBC doesn’t say whether any currencies other than GBP are supported with its Stocks and Shares ISA. It’s likely though that your account will be denominated in British pounds (GBP), and all trades will be carried out in GBP.

You can buy international investments (if you’re buying shares, you’ll need the InvestDirect Plus account to buy international shares) but currency conversion costs may apply.

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA features

Now, let’s take a look at the key features of the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA:³

• Choose from one of three options - ready made portfolios, invest in funds via the Global Investment Centre or choose your own investments (including shares) with an InvestDirect or InvestDirect Plus share dealing account.
• Invest online and manage investments via the HSBC app
• Easy access to your money, including quick payment (within 4 working days) if you sell shares
• A wide range of investment options, including international opportunities.

This isn’t a flexible ISA, which means that any funds you withdraw and then put back in will count towards your annual ISA allowance.⁴

Learn more about regular ISAs and how they work below.

📚How ISAs work

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA fees

Before you open any kind of ISA or investment account, you’ll need to know exactly how much it’s going to cost you.

Here are the main fees you need to know about for the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA:²

Fee	Ready-made portfolios	Global Investment Centre (funds)	InvestDirect (UK share dealing)	InvestDirect Plus (worldwide share dealing)
Account fee	0.25%/year2	0.25%/year1	£10.50/quarter6	£10.50/quarter6
Fund management fee	Varies - from 0.210%5	Varies1	N/A	N/A
Withdrawal fee	None	None	None	None
Trading fees	N/A	None4	£10.50/trade6	£10.50/trade6

Does the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA have an account fee?

Yes, there are account fees with the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA. These vary depending how you choose to invest with your ISA:

• Ready-made portfolios - 0.25% a year²
• Invest in funds via the Global Investment Centre - 0.25% a year¹
• Share dealing with an InvestDirect or InvestDirect Plus account - £10.50 a quarter.⁶

Trading fees with HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA

There are no trading fees when you invest via ready-made portfolios or the Global Investment Centre. However, fund management charges will apply.

If you buy and sell shares with an InvestDirect or InvestDirect Plus account, you’ll pay a flat fee of £10.50 per trade.⁶

There is also a discount with the InvestDirect Plus account, where you get reduced trading fees of £7.95 per transaction after your 9th trade in a calendar quarter.⁶

How much does HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA charge for UK stocks?

If you have an InvestDirect or InvestDirect Plus account linked to your HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA, you’ll pay trading fees of £10.50 per transaction⁶ when you buy or sell UK stocks.

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA withdrawal fees

HSBC doesn’t charge a fee for cash withdrawals from its Stocks and Shares ISA, so you can withdraw freely, whenever you want.

Just be aware though that this isn’t a flexible ISA, so anything you withdraw and then put back will count towards your ISA allowance for the tax year.

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA commission fees

HSBC generally doesn’t charge commission fees, as it's all covered under the fixed trading fee.

If you have a ready-made portfolio or invest in funds, there will be fund management fees to pay directly to the fund manager.

How to buy stock with HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA

Before you can start buying stock, you’ll need to make sure you have your HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA fully up and running.

This means opening your ISA online and signing up for an InvestDirect share dealing account. This will usually be linked to an HSBC current or savings account, which will be used to automatically fund any investments you buy.

All sorted? Now you simply need to follow these steps to start trading:⁷

1. Sign into your HSBC Stocks and Shares account online
2. Select ‘buy’ on the toolbar
3. Choose your nominated HSBC current account to fund the trade, via the ‘trade from account’ dropdown box
4. Enter the company code or stock company name
5. Select ‘Get price’
6. Enter either the number of shares you want to buy
7. Set a limit price - this is the maximum price you’re willing to pay
8. Preview the order and check the price
9. Select ‘Place order’ to confirm.
10. You’ll get a confirmation of your order in the ‘Messages’ section.

Learn how to buy shares in the UK and what you need to know below.

📚How to buy shares

Buying stock in another currency?

Buying or selling a stock or shares that aren’t traded in your local currency? Don’t let the currency conversion trip you up. Convert your stocks or shares into any currency with our handy tool, and you’ll always know what you’re getting.

Check out our international stock ticker tool.

Explore international stocks 🌍

Disclaimer: Wise's international stock ticker provides information for reference purposes only. This tool and platform does not offer to buy or sell stocks, and the data displayed here should not be considered financial advice. All investment decisions should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and users should exercise caution and seek professional guidance when making investment choices.

How is the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA mobile app?

You can use the HSBC mobile banking app for managing your Stocks and Shares ISA.

It’s available for both Android and iOS devices, and lets you check and manage your portfolio at any time.

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA customer service

If you need help with your HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA, you can contact customer services by phone.

Call HSBC Investor Services on 800 358 3011 - this line is available Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.⁸

Alternatives to the HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA

Of course, HSBC isn’t the only provider of stocks and shares ISAs in the UK. There are plenty of alternatives you can choose from, such as:

• Barclays Investment ISA
• Halifax Stocks and Shares ISA
• NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lloyds Stocks and Shares ISA
• Moneybox Stocks and Shares ISA
• Trading 212 Stocks ISA
• Vanguard Stocks and Shares ISA.

FAQs about investing with HSBC S&S ISA

How to withdraw from a HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA?

You can withdraw money from your HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA at any time using online banking. If the money is tied up in an investment, you’ll need to sell it first.

How long does it take to withdraw from a HSBC S&S ISA?

HSBC Stocks and Shares ISAs typically pay withdrawn funds into your nominated bank account within 4 working days.³

Can you have more than one ISA with HSBC?

You can have one of each type of ISA with HSBC (and First Direct, which HSBC owns) - a stocks and shares ISA, and a cash ISA.³ You’ll also need to make sure you don’t exceed your personal limit of £20,000 per tax year.

Grow your international money with Wise

Not sure about using a stocks and shares ISA to help you save?

With a Wise account, you can earn a return by investing your GBP, EUR and USD, and choose how your money is used. Simply select your chosen currency then under ‘Options’, select ‘Earn’ and choose ‘Stocks’ or ‘Interest’.

All your money is held as ‘cash’ by default, so you can’t earn a return on what you spend, but it isn’t at risk in the market.

If you select the ‘Stocks’ option, we’ll invest some or all of your money (you can choose to allocate all or part of your chosen currency account) in the index tracking fund we’ve chosen.

And if you opt for Wise Interest you can choose to give us permission to invest all or some of your money in the interest-earning fund we’ve chosen, this will depend on the currency.

Wise Interest can help grow your international money and start earning a return on the pounds, euros and dollars in your account. When you use Wise Interest, you can send and spend your money whenever you want, including your gains and you can transfer up to 10,000 GBP (or equivalent) each day from Interest currencies. Anything above will add a processing time of up to 2 working days.

To protect your account, we may occasionally need to temporarily limit the amount of money you can withdraw, send, or spend daily. In this case you’d still get full access to your money within 2 working days.

We invest your money in government-backed asset funds. This means that when the central bank rates change, your return does too. You can check the 7 day past performance on the Wise Interest page. Past performance doesn't guarantee future growth. Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed.

Why not turn on Wise Interest, to help boost your money?

Learn more about Wise Interest

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

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Sources used for this article:

1. HSBC - Global Investment Centre
2. HSBC - Ready-made portfolios
3. HSBC - Stocks & shares ISA
4. Which? - HSBC investment platform review
5. HSBC Asset Management - Global Strategy Cautious portfolio
6. HSBC - online share dealing account
7. HSBC Asset Management - contact

Sources checked on 18-June-2025