Perks per Share

Market guide

ASX

Australian Securities Exchange

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is Australia’s main share market, where shares trade in Australian dollars. For shareholder perks, the key question is whether the shares are registered in your name or held through a custodian.

Current shareholder perks

Our coverage includes the following companies with current perks.

Dealing considerations

Shares registered in your name

Australian shares can be registered in your name through a sponsoring broker or directly through the company’s share registry. A sponsoring broker uses ASX’s CHESS system and gives you a Holder Identification Number (HIN). An issuer-sponsored holding instead has a Securityholder Reference Number (SRN) for each company. Both routes record your ownership in the company’s register.

What a company needs to check your holding

A company can use your HIN or SRN to identify a holding registered in your name. Some Australian perk applications ask for one of these references. Each issuer sets its own requirements, so check the company page before applying; appearing on the register does not by itself make you eligible.

Buying from outside Australia

ASX advises overseas investors to find a broker in their own country that trades Australian shares. The broker rows below explain the dealing routes we have checked. We have not confirmed CHESS sponsorship through these overseas brokers. Ask your broker whose name appears on the register and what ownership evidence it can supply, then check whether the issuer accepts that evidence.

Trading hours and settlement

ASX uses Sydney time. The market opens with an auction at 9:59am, with a random start within 15 seconds, followed by continuous trading until 4:00pm and a closing auction at 4:10pm. Trades settle through CHESS two business days after dealing, known as T+2.

Finding your share registry

ASX lists each company’s share registry at the bottom of its company-directory page. Registries such as Computershare, MUFG Corporate Markets and Automic provide investor portals for holding details, dividends and address changes. If your shares are issuer sponsored, update your details with each company’s registry. If they are CHESS sponsored, update them through your sponsoring broker.

Brokers and charges

Compare the dealing terms below for selected brokers. Before buying, check the issuer’s eligibility rules and ask your broker what help it provides with the claim.

AJ Bell (UK)

UK retail clients. AJ Bell lists international dealing for its SIPP, Stocks and shares ISA, Lifetime ISA and Dealing account; the custody charge shown is the Dealing account's.

How to deal
Australian shares can be bought by telephone, with a minimum purchase of £10,000. AJ Bell accepts orders between 8am and 5pm on UK business days. Some shares require a limit order.
Dealing charges
A telephone international trade costs £25. Currency conversion costs 0.75% on the first £10,000, 0.50% on the next £10,000 and 0.25% above £20,000. Converting dividends or corporate-action payments to sterling costs 0.5%.
Other costs
The Dealing account charges 0.25% a year to hold shares, capped at £3.50 a month. AJ Bell lists no Australian exchange fee, local tax, levy or stamp duty in its dealing table. Its tax-treaty arrangements cover only US and Canadian markets, and it offers no withholding-tax reclaim service; ask how this affects your dividends.

AJ Bell does not explain how Australian shares are registered or whether clients can obtain a HIN. Its description of CREST Depository Interests (CDIs) applies to online markets and does not establish the custody route for telephone purchases.

AJ Bell: charges  , checked

Fidelity Investments (US)

US customers with a non-retirement brokerage account; Fidelity says retirement accounts are not eligible for international trading. Australia is one of the 25 countries on its list.

How to deal
Buy online or through a representative. You can settle the trade in US or Australian dollars.
Dealing charges
An Australian share trade costs AUD 32 online or AUD 70 through a representative. Currency conversion costs 1% below US$100,000, falling in steps to 0.2% above US$1,000,000.
Other costs
Fidelity’s international trading pages do not state a custody or account fee. Check the account tariff and how Fidelity handles tax on Australian dividends.

Fidelity does not say how an Australian holding is registered, and mentions no CHESS sponsorship or HIN.

Fidelity: international commissions  , checked

Hargreaves Lansdown

UK retail clients.

How to deal
HL does not offer Australian share dealing. Its overseas-market list covers the US, Canada and Western Europe.
Dealing charges
Not applicable: HL does not deal Australian shares.
Other costs
Not applicable.
interactive investor

UK retail customers on a monthly plan (Core, Plus or Premium). ii says its direct-access markets are available through the Trading Account, ISA and Personal Pension; it does not restate ISA eligibility for Australian shares specifically.

How to deal
Buy online by choosing “trade now”, then “international”. The ASX is one of ii’s directly accessed exchanges.
Dealing charges
Australian share trades cost £9.99 on Core, £7.99 on Plus and £5.99 on Premium. Telephone trades cost £49. The charges page gives currency conversion rates of 0.75% on Core; 0.75% on the first £50,000 and 0.25% above that on Plus; and 0.25% on Premium. Its Australia page still quotes 1.5%, so confirm the applicable rate before dealing.
Other costs
Monthly plan fees apply whether or not you trade: £5.99 for Core (portfolios up to £100,000), £14.99 for Plus and £39.99 for Premium. ii’s Australia page does not explain treaty relief on dividends; ask how it handles Australian withholding tax. Shares in companies registered outside the UK normally attract no UK stamp taxes, although a UK share register can bring them within scope.

ii registers overseas shares in its nominee’s name or through an appointed custodian. Your name therefore does not appear on the Australian register. Its pages do not explain what evidence ii can provide for an Australian shareholder-perk claim.

interactive investor: charges  , checked

Swissquote (Switzerland)

Clients of Swissquote’s Swiss service. Confirm that your account supports Australian share dealing.

How to deal
Australian shares can be traded online.
Dealing charges
Swissquote charges in Swiss francs, using the trade’s value in Australian dollars to set the fee: CHF 20 up to AUD 2,000; CHF 29 up to AUD 10,000; CHF 49 up to AUD 15,000; CHF 79 up to AUD 25,000; CHF 129 up to AUD 50,000; and CHF 190 above that.
Other costs
The dealing fees above exclude custody and currency conversion costs, which are not confirmed here. Check Swissquote’s account tariff and how it handles tax on Australian dividends.

Swissquote does not say how an Australian holding is registered, and mentions no CHESS sponsorship or HIN.

Swissquote: stock dealing fees  , checked