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Fidelity International
Broker Review · Free fund dealing, capped ETF/share fees in ISA and SIPP

Fidelity International

🇬🇧 FCA regulated, Which? Recommended SIPP Provider six years running
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What you need to know

Fidelity International is one of the UK's largest and most established investment platforms, managing well over £40 billion for around 1.7 million UK customers. Its standout feature is free fund dealing — buying, selling and switching funds costs nothing — combined with a service fee on ETFs and shares that's capped at just £90 a year within an ISA or SIPP, making Fidelity particularly strong for investors who mix funds with a smaller ETF allocation.

  • Service fee of 0.35% on ISA/SIPP holdings (reduced to 0.20% above £250,000)
  • For shares, ETFs and investment trusts in an ISA or SIPP, the fee is capped at £90/year (£7.50/month)
  • Free fund dealing — buy, sell and switch funds at zero cost, a rare feature among major platforms
  • No service fee at all on Junior ISAs, Junior SIPPs, or on exchange-traded investments held in a general Investment Account
  • Share dealing costs £7.50 per online trade, reduced to £1.50 for regular investing/savings plans
  • SIPP named Which? Recommended Provider for six consecutive years, including full drawdown support

Strengths

  • Free fund dealing — buy, sell and switch funds at zero cost
  • £90/year cap on ETF and share fees in an ISA or SIPP, among the most competitive for growing ETF portfolios
  • No service fee at all on Junior ISA, Junior SIPP, or GIA exchange-traded holdings
  • SIPP named Which? Recommended Provider for six years running
  • Service fee calculated across combined accounts, reaching the lower 0.20% tier sooner

Limitations

  • £7.50 online share dealing fee is higher than AJ Bell (£5.00) or Interactive Investor (£3.99)
  • 0.35% fund service fee is uncapped below £250,000, unlike the capped share/ETF fee
  • FX fees tiered up to 0.75% on smaller international trades, among the higher rates for frequent US stock buyers
  • No flat-fee option for very large portfolios below the £250,000 discount threshold

Fees in detail

ItemCost
Service fee, funds (ISA/SIPP)0.35% (0.20% above £250,000 combined)
Service fee, shares/ETFs (ISA/SIPP)0.35%, capped at £7.50/month (£90/year)
Fund dealing£0 (buy, sell, switch)
Share dealing (online)£7.50 per trade
Regular investing / regular savings plan£1.50 per trade
Junior ISA / Junior SIPP service fee£0
FX fee (international trades)0.75% first £10k, 0.50% £10k-£20k, 0.25% above
The £90/year ETF and share cap is the key structural advantage: once your ETF or share holdings within an ISA or SIPP reach roughly £25,700, the custody cost stops growing entirely, however large the portfolio becomes afterwards. The service fee is calculated across all your Fidelity accounts combined, not per wrapper — a £200,000 ISA plus a £100,000 SIPP is treated as a combined £300,000, qualifying for the lower 0.20% tier rather than two separate 0.35% bills. FX fees are tiered: 0.75% on the first £10,000 of an international trade, 0.50% between £10,000-£20,000, and 0.25% above that.

Regular investing plan

Fidelity's £1.50 regular investing rate, combined with completely free fund dealing outside of a regular plan, makes it a genuinely efficient platform for long-term monthly investors — particularly those buying a mix of funds and a modest ETF allocation. Because the £90/year cap applies specifically to shares and ETFs in an ISA or SIPP, an investor building an ETF portfolio through monthly contributions sees their custody cost plateau once the ETF portion of the wrapper passes roughly £25,700, regardless of how much larger it grows afterwards.

Safety and regulation

Fidelity International is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Client money and investments are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm. The SIPP has been named a Which? Recommended Provider for six consecutive years and includes pension drawdown with no additional charges beyond the standard service fee.

Customer support

Fidelity provides customer support through phone and digital channels, backed by scale: with around 1.7 million UK customers and over £40 billion in assets, it's one of the platforms with the deepest resources for customer service and educational content among UK investment platforms.

Frequently asked questions

Is fund dealing really free on Fidelity?
Yes, buying, selling and switching funds costs nothing on Fidelity — a genuinely rare feature, since most major UK platforms charge something for fund trades (Hargreaves Lansdown charges £1.95, AJ Bell £1.50).
How does the £90/year ETF and share cap work?
For shares, ETFs and investment trusts held in an ISA or SIPP, the 0.35% service fee is capped at £7.50/month (£90/year). Once your ETF portfolio inside the wrapper reaches roughly £25,700, the custody cost stops growing entirely, no matter how large it becomes afterwards.
Does Fidelity charge for a Junior ISA or Junior SIPP?
No, Fidelity charges no service fee at all on Junior accounts, though normal fund charges (OCF) still apply.
How much does it cost to buy individual shares on Fidelity?
£7.50 per online trade for a one-off purchase, reduced to £1.50 if the trade is part of a regular savings or regular investing plan, or a reinvestment of income or dividends.
Is Fidelity's SIPP good?
Yes, it's been named a Which? Recommended Provider for six consecutive years, includes full pension drawdown support, and benefits from the same £90/year cap on share/ETF holdings as the ISA.
Is Fidelity safe?
Yes, Fidelity International is FCA regulated, with client money and investments protected by the FSCS up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm.
How are combined accounts treated for the service fee?
The service fee tier is calculated across all your Fidelity accounts combined, not per wrapper — so a £200,000 ISA plus a £100,000 SIPP is assessed as a combined £300,000, qualifying for the lower 0.20% rate rather than two separate 0.35% charges.
Does Fidelity charge a fee on a General Investment Account?
No service fee applies to exchange-traded investments (shares, ETFs, investment trusts) held in a standard Investment Account — only ISA and SIPP holdings carry the service fee.

How to open an account

  1. Go to the official Fidelity International website and choose your account (ISA, SIPP, Investment Account, Junior accounts)
  2. Enter your personal and tax details to complete the application
  3. Complete identity verification as required by FCA regulation
  4. Fund your account by bank transfer, debit card, or by transferring an existing ISA/SIPP
  5. Choose your funds, shares or ETFs, or set up a regular investing plan from as little as £25/month

In summary

Fidelity International is a strong choice for investors who want free fund dealing and a well-regarded SIPP, with the £90/year cap on ETF and share fees making it particularly cost-effective for growing ETF portfolios within an ISA or SIPP. It's less competitive for investors who trade individual shares frequently outside a regular plan, where the £7.50 dealing fee is among the higher rates in the market.