Trading 212 Multi-currency Account - What it is and how it compares

Thinking of using Trading 212? The fintech firm offers commission-free investing in stocks and ETFs, along with a number of other related trading and investment services.

The UK-based platform also has a multi-currency account called Trading 212 Invest. But what exactly is it, and how does it work?

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about this multi-currency account and what it has to offer. It’s all so that you have all the info you need to decide whether it’s the right option for you.

We’ll also show you another option to help boost your money, with Wise Interest.

Remember that investments, even in a low-risk fund, are never guaranteed. Capital at risk.

What is the Trading 212 multi-currency account?

The Trading 212 Invest account is designed to make it easier to trade in multiple currencies.

On some other platforms, you can only hold a balance in GBP. This usually means that when you trade in other currencies like EUR or USD, a currency conversion will need to be carried out. This is usually done by your bank (as your bank account is funding your trading account) and it can result in conversion fees. You’re also likely to get an unfavourable exchange rate.

Trading 212 has come up with its own solution to help you avoid these fees. Its app-managed Invest account lets you deposit, withdraw and trade in 12 global currencies.¹

This means you can deposit and withdraw in the same currency as your bank account, which could be handy if you use multi-currency accounts to fund your investments. You can steer clear of currency conversion, and any associated fees. And when you trade, you can select which currency balance you’d like to use.

The Trading 212 Invest account does also let you convert between currencies within the account if you need to. This does come with a small conversion fee, which we’ll look at later.

The last important thing to know about this account is that it pays interest on uninvested balances in all supported currencies.

What currencies are supported?

At the moment, the Trading 212 Invest account supports 12 major currencies. These are:¹

• British pound - GBP
• US dollar - USD
• Euro - EUR
• Swiss franc - CHF
• Danish krone - DKK
• Norwegian krone - NOK
• Polish zloty - PLN
• Swedish krona - SEK
• Czech koruna - CZK
• Romanian leu - RON
• Bulgarian lev - BGN
• Hungarian forint - HUF.

How do deposits and withdrawals work?

When you open a Trading 212 Invest account, you’ll choose a primary currency (which can’t be changed). This is the default currency for displaying statements, your account value and other status updates.²

But you can deposit in any of the 12 supported currencies.² There are a choice of accepted payment methods available, including bank transfers and card payments.

You can also withdraw funds from the account in any of the supported currencies. All you need to do is select the currency balance to withdraw from and the platform will pay the funds without automatically converting any currency.²

You’ll just need to make sure the bank account you’re withdrawing to is in the same currency. Otherwise, there’s a risk that your bank may charge a currency conversion fee.

The minimum you can deposit or withdraw is £1, or the currency equivalent.³

Fees with the Trading 212 multi-currency account

One of the big selling points of the Trading 212 app and platform is that it offers trading without any commission fees.

However, there are still some fees to know about with the Trading 212 multi-currency account, which include the following:³

Interest rates

Trading 212 also pays interest on uninvested balances in your account. Here are the current interest rates (correct as of 26.03.2024):³

All interest is earned and paid daily, so you can invest or withdraw it right away if you want to.

Earn returns on GBP, EUR and USD with Wise Interest

If it turns out that Trading 212 isn’t the right fit for you, there are alternatives available. If you’d like to manage your money in multiple currencies and earn returns at the same time, Wise could be just what you’re looking for.

International money transfer specialist Wise has launched a feature called Wise Interest. This lets you earn returns on balances held in GBP, USD and EUR. Your money is invested in a fund which holds government-guaranteed assets.

All you need to do is open a Wise multi-currency account, turn on Interest and you’ll get returns added to your money every working day.

Best of all, you can access every penny, dollar and cent of your money whenever you need it. So if you need to send money overseas, convert it to another currency or withdraw it to your bank account - that’s no problem. It’s easy to do it in just a couple of clicks.

However, it’s important to remember that investments, even in a low-risk fund, are never guaranteed. Capital at risk.

Sign up with Wise today 💰

And that’s it - all the essentials you need to know about the Trading 212 multi-currency account. We’ve looked at what the account is and how it works, including how you deposit, withdraw and convert funds. And of course, we’ve covered the fees and interest rates associated with the Invest account.

With this information, you should be all set to check out Trading 212 and see if it’s the right choice for you.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 26-March-2024