Trading 212 review

What is Trading 212?

Trading 212 is a fintech broker that's been operating since 2004, first making its name in the UK and Europe as one of the earlier zero-commission trading apps. Trading 212 AU Pty Ltd launched locally in February 2024 and holds its own Australian Financial Services Licence.

Globally, Trading 212 says it has more than 5 million clients and its app has been downloaded upwards of 15 million times.

What markets can you trade with Trading 212?

With Trading 212 you can trade shares, ETFs and fractional shares across 16 international exchanges, including the NYSE, NASDAQ, London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse (Xetra/Gettex), Euronext (Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon), Bolsa de Madrid, Wiener Börse and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

What you can't trade: ASX-listed shares, ASX CFDs, managed funds, options, futures, warrants or cryptocurrency.

Foreign currency

You can hold up to 4 currencies at once out of 6 supported (AUD, USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, CAD), with currency conversion inside the platform priced at a flat 0.15% FX fee and settling instantly. Dividends and sale proceeds are paid back into AUD.

Trading accounts and features

Invest account

This is the core cash account for buying and holding shares and ETFs. There's no margin lending or short selling on Invest, so you can only buy what you can pay for, which keeps risk relatively contained compared to the CFD side of the platform.

CFD account

A separate account for trading CFDs (contracts for difference) with leverage. This is a higher-risk product: you can lose more than you deposit, and it's built for experienced traders comfortable with margin, not for a first-time investor.

Interest on uninvested cash

Any AUD cash sitting in your account earns 5.2% p.a., calculated daily and paid daily (no monthly lock-in), with no minimum or maximum balance requirement. You can switch it on or off at any time.

Pies and AutoInvest

Trading 212's "Pies" feature lets you build a custom basket of stocks and ETFs, or choose a ready-made one, with automated regular investing and rebalancing.

It's aimed at investors who want a "set and forget" approach without paying for a separate managed fund.

What fees does Trading 212 charge?

Trading 212's pitch is genuinely simple on cost:

• Brokerage: $0 on every trade
• FX/currency conversion fee: 0.15%, charged when you convert between currencies (this is effectively the only cost of trading)
• Account/inactivity fees: None
• Ongoing or monthly fees: None
• Deposits via bank transfers are free, but if you deposit money in your account via a card, or Google/Apple Pay there's a 0.7% fee once you pass $4,000.

Compared with brokers that charge a flat fee per trade (commonly $5–$10 for smaller domestic trades), the FX-fee-only model favours investors who trade internationally and don't need ASX access.

Is Trading 212 safe?

Trading 212 AU Pty Ltd is regulated by ASIC and holds an Australian Financial Services License. It's also directly licensed to hold client funds as custodian, and there's no third-party custody arrangement.

Client cash is held in a pooled trust account (not segregated per client), which is standard practice for many international brokers operating in Australia, though it's a different model from CHESS-sponsored brokers where you hold securities in your own name via a HIN.

Because there's no CHESS sponsorship, Australian investors don't get the same direct-ownership register that ASX-broker customers are used to. If that matters to you, weigh it up before moving significant holdings here.

Opening an account

You can apply entirely online or through the mobile app — there's no phone-based application option. The typical steps are:

1. Download the app or head to the website and start the sign-up (18+ only).
2. Verify your identity (some additional document upload may be required).
3. Fund your account (there's no minimum deposit).
4. Start trading immediately once your account is verified.

Customer support

Support is available 24/7 via live chat, with email response times generally within 24 hours, plus a presence on social media. There's no traditional phone call centre.

Who is Trading 212 designed for?

Trading 212 suits investors who mainly want exposure to US, UK and European shares and ETFs, are comfortable managing everything through an app, and want to avoid brokerage fees and account-keeping costs. The interest rate on uninvested AUD cash is a genuine drawcard even for people who aren't trading actively.

It's less suited to investors who specifically want to hold ASX shares directly (there's no local market access or CHESS sponsorship).