Barclays Investment ISA review: Is Barclays Smart Investor 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 investing, or looking to transfer your ISA to a new provider? One popular option available in the UK is the Barclays Investment ISA - also known as the Barclays Stocks and Shares ISA.

To find out if it’s the right option for you, read on. We’ve put together a comprehensive Barclays Smart Investor review, covering everything you need to know about the ISA and the bank’s online investment platform.

This includes eligibility, annual and trading fees, commission and key features for the Barclays Investment ISA.

So, let’s get started.

Who the Barclays Investment ISA is best for?

The Barclays Investment ISA is suitable for anyone looking to invest, whether you’re new to the world of investing or a seasoned investor.

This is because it offers a choice of Ready-made Investments, where you can simply select the level of risk you’re comfortable with, and ‘Pick your own’ - where you can build a bespoke portfolio yourself.

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.

Who can open an account?

To be eligible for this ISA, you’ll need to meet just two key criteria:¹

• Be a UK tax resident
• Be at least 18 years old

What currencies are supported?

Through the Barclays Smart Investor platform, you can invest in shares in the following currencies in addition to British pounds (GBP):²

• US dollars (USD)
• Euros (EUR)
• Canadian dollars (CAD)
• Swedish krona (SEK)
• Swiss francs (CHF).

Barclays Investment ISA features

Now, let’s take a look at the key features of the Barclays Investment ISA:³

• Flexible withdrawals - withdraw and top up at any time before the end of the tax year without your ISA allowance being affected
• Wide choice of investments - choose from UK and international shares, bonds, funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and investment trusts.
• Choose from Ready-made Investments managed by Barclays experts, or build your own bespoke portfolio from thousands of funds, bonds and shares.
• Trade using the innovative Barclays Smart Investor platform, available online or via the Barclays app (you’ll need a Barclays Smart Investor account)
• Dedicated UK-based phone support.

Barclays Investment 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 Barclays Stocks and Shares ISA:³

Fee	Amount
Account fee	0.25% per year on investments up to £200,000 0.05% on investments over £200,000
Trading fees	£6 per trade for shares (buying and selling) £0 to invest in funds online
Cash withdrawal fee	None
Commission fee	None

Does the Barclays Investment ISA have an account fee?

Yes, the Barclays Investment ISA has an annual fee of 0.25% on investments up to £200,000. For any investments over this threshold, there’s a fee of 0.05%.³

Trading fees with Barclays Investment ISA

You’ll pay £6 per trade to buy or sell shares as the holder of a Barclays Investor ISA. This includes ETFs, investment trusts, bonds and gilts. It’s important to bear in mind that this is the fee for trading online. If you do it over the phone, you’ll pay a whopping £25 per trade.³

The good news though is that there’s no fee for buying and selling funds online, for making regular investments or for dividend reinvestment.³

How much does Barclays Investment ISA charge for UK stocks?

There’s just one flat fee of £6 for buying or selling shares with your Barclays Stocks and Shares ISA, whether or not you invest in UK or overseas stocks.³

Barclays Investment ISA withdrawal fees

Barclays doesn’t charge a fee for cash withdrawals from its Investment ISA,³ so you can withdraw freely, whenever you want.

Barclays Investment ISA commission fees

There are no commission fees when trading with this ISA, as it's all covered under the £6 flat trading fee.³

How to buy stock with Barclays Investment ISA

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

This means opening your ISA online, downloading the Barclays app and opening a Barclays Smart Investor account. You may also want to open a Barclays current account, as this is required if you want to fund your Smart Investor account via the Barclays app.

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

1. Sign into your Barclays account online or via the Barclays mobile app
2. Fund your Smart Investor account - you can transfer money from a Barclays current account or a debit card. You can also set up a monthly Direct Debit if you prefer.⁴
3. Browse investments on the Smart Investor platform
4. Choose the investments you’d like to buy, and place your order through the Smart Investor platform. You’ll need to make sure you have enough in your account to cover the cost of the investment as well as the trading charges.
5. Check the details carefully and confirm.

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 Barclays Investment ISA mobile app?

You can use the Barclays mobile banking app for managing your Investment ISA. It’s available for both Android and iOS devices, and lets you do the following:⁵

• Check the value of your investments
• Pay into your account (you’ll need a Barclays Current Account to do this)
• Browse investments and buy funds
• Sell investments if your needs or goals change
• Set up regular automated investments.

Barclays Investment ISA customer service

As a Barclays Investment ISA holder, you’ll benefit from UK-based phone support.

You can call the Barclays Smart Investor customer service team on 0800 279 3667 - available Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 7pm (line closes at 6pm on Fridays).⁶

Alternatives to the Barclays Investment ISA

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

• Halifax Share Dealing ISA
• HSBC Stocks and Shares ISA
• NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lloyds Share Dealing ISA
• Moneybox Stocks and Shares ISA
• Trading 212 Stocks ISA
• Vanguard Stocks and Shares ISA.

FAQs about investing with Barclays S&S ISA

How to withdraw cash from a Barclays Investment ISA?

You can withdraw cash from your Barclays Stocks and Shares ISA at any time via online banking or the Barclays mobile app. Simply select the ‘Withdraw’ option and the funds will be sent to your nominated bank account.

Can you have more than one ISA with Barclays?

Yes, you can have multiple ISAs (including cash ISAs) with Barclays or any other provider, as long as you don’t exceed your personal limit of £20,000 per tax year.⁷

What is the difference between an investment account and a S&S ISA?

The main difference between an investment account and a stocks and shares ISA is whether you’re taxed on anything you earn.

A stocks and shares ISA effectively puts a tax-free wrapper around the investment, so you won’t pay income tax or capital gains tax on your earnings within the account. This tax shield isn’t available with most standard investment accounts.

Learn about S&S ISAs in our article below.

📚How stocks and shares ISAs work

You’re also limited in how much you can put into an S&S ISA, as you’ll only be able to invest up to £20,000 per tax year.

There’s no annual limit with any other kind of investment account.

Read more about how regular ISAs work below.

📚How ISAs work

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) 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. Barclays - Barclays Smart Investor terms
2. Barclays - Investing in international markets
3. Barclays - Investment ISA
4. Barclays - How to buy shares
5. Barclays - Investing with the Barclays app
6. Barclays - contact page
7. Barclays - Barclays ISA FAQs

Sources checked on 27-Jun-2025