First you need to place your order. This tells us what you want to trade and how you would like your order to be carried out. There are different order types and settlement currencies, but you can also choose to trade by a specific amount of cash or quantity . There are order types you can choose from such as: Market order – this is your basic order that deals at the first opportunity. Buying or selling shares for the best price available at the time. Limit order – we’ll buy or sell your shares, but only when the price reaches your set trigger or limit. The trade will cancel if we can’t get your limit price or better. Stop loss – we'll sell your share automatically at the best price available once the price drops to a certain level. Fill or kill – tell us your order and what price you would like to achieve. If the price is available, the order will be executed (‘filled’). If not, it will be cancelled (‘killed’). They all have different advantages and disadvantages so it’s important to learn about all the options available.

For most UK stocks, you’ll be shown a live quote. You’ll then have a short period of time to accept, refresh or cancel the deal. If you’re trading internationally, in funds, or we can’t get you a live quote, we’ll show you an indicative quote instead and you’ll have the option to submit a market best order – or another order type. Our traders will contact the market for you to execute the deal at the best price available.

Once your trade executes, your portfolio is updated, and a contract note – think of it like a receipt for the trade - will be uploaded to the documents section of your online account.

Stocks & Shares ISA

Adding and withdrawing money

How to invest in a Stocks and Shares ISA?

Important information - investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. If you're in any doubt about the suitability of a Stocks & Shares ISA, you should seek independent financial advice. The tax treatment of this product depends on your individual circumstances and may change in future. If you are uncertain about the tax treatment of the product you should contact HMRC or seek independent tax advice.

1. Open your ISA and add cash

Before you start investing, you’ll need to open your ISA and add cash. There are a few ways to add cash, but the quickest is with a stored debit card and the cash can be traded with straight away.

You can also:

Set up a recurring subscription by monthly direct debit and make use of our regular investing service, free with your account.
Subscribe by bank transfer from your nominated bank account.

Learn more about adding cash

2. Choose your investments

Once you’ve opened your Stocks and Shares ISA, it’s time to get started choosing what to invest in.

The only currency you can add to, and hold within, a Stocks and Shares ISA is pounds sterling (GBP). But you’re not limited to shares on the UK exchanges. You can trade on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Euronext Paris or any of our supported and recognised international exchanges. But it’s not just shares either, with a Stocks and Shares ISA can invest in:

We can’t tell you what you should invest in. That really depends on you – what your goals are and what you’re comfortable with. Whatever you choose, it’s best to do your research.

You can find detailed information about an investment, with the latest news and research, by searching for it at the top of the page – or by clicking ‘Find & Invest’ if you’re logged in.

Need some inspiration? Why not check out what our experts think, or take a look at our ISA investment ideas

3. Buy and sell your investments

You’ve added cash, it’s time to make your investment. You can trade online or using our mobile app. The trading journey can be broken down into three parts: the Order, the Execution, and Contracting. It’s the same journey for buying and selling.

Order

Execution

Contracting

Learn more about our Stocks and Shares ISA

Learn how to make the most of your Stocks and Shares ISA with our useful guides.