Simple, fair and transparent pricing
Customers are at the centre of everything we do and our pricing structure reflects that. We charge the smallest amount possible in order to execute at the highest standard and build a sustainable business.
You pay us for these things
Yep, that’s it.
US shares
0.1%, up to $1 max
min $0.10 · per order
UK shares
£1
per order
EU shares
€1
per order
Currency conversion
Uses the live interbank exchange rate
0.35%
Fast deposit transfer
Depositing with card after free £500 lifetime allowance
0.5%
Money market funds (USD)
Taken from monthly distributions
0.25%
annually
We’ll give you these for free
You’ll often pay for these elsewhere.
Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
Free
Multi-currency account
Free
USD, EUR, GBP account numbers
Free
Securities custody
Free
Local bank transfer in
Free
Local bank transfer out
Free
W8-BEN (US tax form)
Free
Money market funds (GBP & EUR)
Free
...and we’ll also pay you interest
On your uninvested cash.
GBP interest rate
3.00%
AER net
EUR interest rate
2.00%
AER net
USD interest rate
3.00%
AER net
Lightyear expects to receive interest of between 0.5% below and 0.5% above the prevailing base rates on client uninvested cash in GBP, EUR, USD. Lightyear retains the difference between interest we receive and interest paid to you.
...or you can earn even higher interest
With MMFs (Vaults). Capital at risk.
GBP rate
4.89%
AER net
EUR rate
3.08%
AER net
USD rate
4.58%
AER net
This is an investment product, managed by BlackRock, with variable rates.
Oh, and there’s the Government
No one can save you from these.
UK Stamp Duty
When buying UK stocks
0.5%
French Financial Transaction Tax
When buying French stocks
0.3%
Spanish Financial Transaction Tax
When buying Spanish stocks
0.2%
Irish Stamp Duty
When buying Irish stocks
1%
Other local taxes and fees may apply.
Also, our partners charge for this
You won’t encounter these often
LEI Fee
When you’re investing as a business
£42.50 + VAT
1 year
Receiving USD wire payment
Fixed fee per payment
$6.11
Invest in ETFs, free of Lightyear fees
Our mission is to give everyone access to the global markets.
- Free to deposit by bank transfer.
- No execution fees for investing in ETFs.
- No custody fees for holding your investments with us.
- No FX fees when you invest in your home currency — we have ETFs priced in EUR, GBP and USD.
Multi-currency investing
With our multi-currency investment account, your money goes even further without constant foreign exchange fees.
- No more double conversion fees on each trade — You choose when and how much you convert.
- Your money is always converted at the live interbank rate — the rate at which banks convert currencies with each other.
- Earn interest on your uninvested cash — GBP (3.00%), USD (3.00%), EUR (2.00%) p.a net.
How we compare
We are one of the most competitively priced investment platforms on the market and that's how we like it. Low cost, transparent pricing is in our DNA.
 |  |  |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monthly fee | Free | £5.99 | Free | £4.99 | 0.45% of holdings per year, see below |
ETFs - execution fee | Free | Free | £3.99 | £5.95 - £11.95 | |
US shares - per order | $1 max 0.1%, min $0.10 | "Free" There's a 0.59% FX fee | 1 / month, then 0.25% £1 min | £3.99 | £5.95 - £11.95 Plus FX fee |
UK shares - per order | £1 | Free | £3.99 | £5.95 - £11.95 | |
EU shares - per order | €1 | "Free" There's a 0.59% FX fee | £9.99 | £5.95 - £11.95 Plus FX fee | |
Currency conversion (FX) | 0.35% | 0.59% | 0% on £1k/month 1% after | 1.50% First £25k (see below) | 1.00% First £5k (see below) |
Multi-currency | |||||
Interest on GBP - uninvested cash | 3.00% AER | 3.00% AER, up to £2K | 1.51% AER, first £10k (see below) | 2.78% AER, first £10k (see below) | |
Interest on USD - uninvested cash | 3.00% AER | 1.51% AER, first £10k (see below) | |||
Interest on EUR - uninvested cash | 2.00% AER | 1.51% AER |
Pricing comparison of other providers as of 21st November 2024 based on a portfolio of £8,000. Information displayed on the table above is based on competitors' websites information. For the most up to date information please visit their respective websites.
Freetrade: Offers 3 different plans. In the above table, the Standard plan is presented with a monthly fee of £5.99 which can be reduced to £4.99 if paid annually. The 'Plus' plan is £11.99, or £9.99 if paid annually. Full breakdown of their other plans is available here.
Revolut: Offers 4 different plans. The table above shows their Standard plan, which is the free tier offering one free trade per month. Full breakdown of their other plans is available here.
Interactive investor: Offers 4 different plans. The table above shows their Investor Essentials plan. Interest rates on uninvested GBP and USD are tiered, offering 1.51% AER on the first £10,000, 2.27% AER between £10,000 to £100,000, 3.30% between £100,000 and £1,000,000, and 4.07% over £1,000,000. FX fee is also tiered and would work as follows: £24,999 and below is 1.50%, £25,000 - £49,999 are 1.25%, £50,000 - £99,999.99 are 1%, £100,000 - £599,999 are 0.5%, and £600,000+ is 0.25%. Full breakdown of their other plans is available here.
Hargreaves Lansdown: Platform fees are based on total holdings and type of instruments held. In a HL Stocks & Shares ISA, the charges to hold funds are calculated in bands, with the first £250,000 charged at 0.45%, £250,000 to £1m at 0.25%, £1m to £2m at 0.1%, and over £2m at 0%. Shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are charged at 0.45% per year, and capped at £45. Trade costs are based on the number of trades in the previous month. £11.95 fee is the first tier from 0 to 9 trades in the previous month. £8.95 per trade for 10-19 trades, and £5.95 for 20 or more trades. At the same time FX is also tiered with 1.00% FX fee on the first £5,000, reduced to 0.75% for the next £5,000, 0.5% for the £5,000 after that, and 0.25% over £20,000. Interest rates are based on cash holdings in an HL ISA, and these are also tiered: 2.78% AER up to £9,999, 2.99% AER from £10,000 to £49,999, 3.20% AER from £50,000 to £99,999, and 3.51% for over £100,000.