Funding for international students in the UK: loans, funds, grants, and more
Read our essential guide to funding for international students in the UK, exploring loans, scholarships, bursaries, grants, awards and more.
Santander Investment Hub platform review: Features and fees
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 with Santander? The UK bank offers a number of investment options, from stocks and shares ISAs to ready-made investment packages. It’s all managed from the bank’s investment platform, the Santander Investment Hub.
Here in our essential Santander Investment Hub review, we’ll run through everything you need to know to start investing with the bank.
This includes info on how to invest with Santander, how its platform works, the features on offer and how much it charges in fees and commissions.
So, let’s get started.
How does the Santander Investment Hub work?
The Santander Investment Hub is an online hub for viewing and managing your investments with the bank. It offers a central dashboard, from which you can easily buy, sell or switch your investments. It’s available online and via the Santander mobile banking app.
You can join the hub without needing to invest any money, and then decide whether to open either a Santander Stocks and Shares ISA or an Investment Account.
Once you’re signed up, you can choose from:
- One of 4 ready-made investment funds
- A wide range of other funds from across the market, to build your own portfolio.
Who the Santander Investment Hub is best for?
The Santander investment platform is suitable for both new and experienced investors. This is because it offers two options - either choose from a ready-made portfolio, or build your own by selecting your own investments.
With ready-made investments, you’ll simply need to choose the level of risk you’re comfortable with - cautious, moderate, balanced or progressive.
Who can open an account?
To open any kind of investment account with Santander, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:1
- Be a UK resident for tax purposes
- Be at least 18 years old.
You’ll also need to be an existing Santander customer, with access to online/mobile banking.
What currencies are supported?
Santander doesn’t say whether any currencies other than GBP are supported within its investment platforms. It’s likely though that your account will be denominated in British pounds (GBP), and all trades will be carried out in GBP.
You can buy international investments but currency conversion costs may apply.
Santander Investment Hub features
Now, let’s take a quick look at the features on offer with the bank’s investment platform:2
- Choice of 4 ready-made funds, or choose your own investments
- Approx. 850 funds available from across the market
- Invest from £20 a month, or a £100 lump sum
- Monitor investments on the move with the Santander mobile app
- Transfer in Stocks and Shares ISAs or other investments held elsewhere
- Access to online advice via the Digital investment Adviser.
Santander Investment Hub fees
Before you start investing with any kind of platform or 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 Santander’s investment platform:3
| Fee type | Santander Investment Hub fees |
|---|---|
| Platform fee |
|
| Fund management fee | Varies by fund |
| Advice fee |
|
| Trading fees | None |
Does the Santander investment platform have an account fee?
Yes, the Santander Investment Hub has what is known as a platform fee. This covers the cost of arranging transactions and investments on the platform.
The fee varies depending on the value of investments held on the Hub. You’ll pay:3
- 0.35% on the first £50,000
- 0.20% on £50,000 to £500,000
- 0.10% on over £500,000.
Trading fees with the Santander Investment Hub
The good news is that there aren’t any direct trading fees for buying and selling investments via the Santander Investment Hub.
These are either covered under the platform or fund management fees, or included in the price of the fund you’re buying.
How much does the Santander Investment Hub charge for UK stocks or funds?
Each fund has its own price and fees, so you’ll need to research the available funds on the Santander investment platform before deciding whether (and how much) to invest.
Santander investment platform withdrawal fees
Santander doesn’t charge a fee for cash withdrawals from its investment accounts, so you can withdraw freely, whenever you want.
Santander investment platform commission fees
The Santander Investment Hub doesn’t charge commission fees, as it's all covered under the platform fees or fund management charges.
How to invest or buy stock with the Santander Investment Hub
Ready to start investing? Here’s how to buy a fund on the Santander Investment Hub:4
- Login to your account on the Hub, either online or via the Santander mobile app
- Click on the account you want to add the new investment fund to
- Select ‘Account’ options
- Select ‘Buy new fund’
- Choose how you want to add money, either through a debit card payment or from cash you already have on the investment platform. If you need to top up, read our guide to sending money with Santander.
- Search for the fund you want to buy. You may need the fund name, company code or stock company name (for example, SAN if you’re searching for Santander stock).
- Select the ‘+’ sign to add the fund to your basket
- Enter the amount you want to invest
- Select ‘continue’ to review the order and submit (you’ll need to download the key information documents first)
Trading stocks and shares, rather than buying funds? Read our helpful guides on buying shares in the UK, and how to sell shares.
How to withdraw from the Santander Investment Hub?
You can withdraw money from your Santander investment account at any time simply by logging in to your online account (or using the Santander mobile banking app).
For security, you’ll only be able to withdraw money to a bank account in your name.
Withdrawn funds should take no more than 1 working day to arrive in your verified bank account. If you need to sell investments first, the process will take around 6 working days.4
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 Santander Investment Hub mobile app?
You can use the Santander mobile banking app for managing all of your investments.
It’s available for both Android and iOS devices, and lets you check and manage your portfolio at any time.
Santander investment platform customer service
If you need help with your account or the platform itself, you can contact Santander customer services by phone.
Call Santander Investor Services on 0800 328 1328.4 You can also login to your account and send a secure message there.
Alternatives to the Santander investment platform
Of course, Santander isn’t the only bank or other provider offering an online investment platform. There are plenty of others available in the UK, such as:
Save money when investing in international stocks
Considering buying or selling international stocks and funds listed abroad? You might be hit with extra costs for cross border money transfers.
But if you use Wise for international transfers, you can avoid hidden currency exchange markups.
Open a Wise account online and you’ll be able to conveniently manage your money in up to 40+ currencies. This means you can convert your money into other currencies when the time is right for you at the mid-market rate for only a small, transparent conversion fee*.
Simply select your chosen currency then under ‘Options’, select ‘Earn’ and choose ‘Stocks’ or ‘Interest’.
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.
Consider turning on Wise Interest, which could help grow your money. Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed.
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.
Sources used for this article:
1. Santander - Santander stocks and shares ISA
2. Santander - investment options
3. Santander - fees, charges and key documents
4. Santander - managing Santander investments online
Sources last checked on 30-Jun-2025
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Money without borders
Find out more
Sending money for a graduation gift internationally
Looking for graduation money gift ideas? Here are physical and digital options for gifting or sending money to a graduate.
Wedding price abroad: the cost of getting married overseas
How much are weddings abroad? Use this guide to understand what costs go into a destination wedding, and how to manage your budget.
Buying from overseas sellers: What are your rights?
Shopping online with overseas sellers? Understand your rights on refunds, returns and extra fees and spend globally with a Wise account.
How to avoid hidden fees when funding your global portfolio
Investing globally? Don't let hidden currency fees shrink your returns. Learn how to fund your international portfolio the smart way with Wise.
Can I keep my US bank account if I move abroad?
Can I keep my US bank account if I move abroad? Find out everything you need to know here in our handy guide.
