Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our opinions or reviews. Learn how we make money.
Finder is committed to editorial independence. While we receive compensation when you click links to partners, they do not influence our content.
Standard Chartered Online Trading Review
Trade financial products from 15 exchanges at the lowest brokerage fees.
No reviews yet.
Write a review
Quick verdict
Good for
- Trusted brokerage
- Lowest fees in the market
- Multi-channel platform and compatibility on web and handheld devices
Not so great for
- No charting tools
- Lack of trade advice and in-depth market research
- Investments held in custodian account
What investments does Standard Chartered Online Trading offer?
SC Online Trading enables its clients to trade most of the securities that are listed across the 15 exchanges that the bank allows trading in:
- Australia (ASX)
- Japan (TSE)
- Hong Kong (HKG)
- France (PAR)
- Singapore (SGX, SGXO)
- Switzerland (SWX)
- Germany (XETR)
- United Kingdom (LSE)
- Netherlands (AMS)
- United States (ASE, NMS, OTCB, OTCQ, NYS)
You can trade the following investments through SC Online Trading platform:
- Company stocks. Invest in listed companies listed on SGX and other global exchanges.
- Exchange-traded funds (ETFs). A diversified portfolio of securities from a range of asset classes and markets.
- Company warrants. Securities issued by a listed company to raise capital, which in turn gives the investor the right to subscribe for or buy one stock of that company at a specified price during a specified period of time before the expiry of the warrant. Company warrants have a maturity date (typically 3 years or longer) and are worthless once they expire unless the holder subscribes for the new stocks before the maturity date.
Note: Some stocks may not be available for purchase due to tax and/or regulatory restrictions.
Key features of Standard Chartered Online Trading
Here are some key features provided by SC Online Trading platform:
- Wide range of global markets. Screen and search for the stock you want quickly and conveniently across 15 exchanges worldwide.
- Multiple order types. Choose how you wish to execute a trade with order types such as Stop Loss Orders, Limit Orders and more.
- Latest market news. Make better informed trades with the latest market news, which is accessible once you log into your trading account.
- Page customisation. Personalise your page layout to suit your preferences. Customisable features includes but is not limited to landing page, alert configuration, font settings and search filter.
- Order notifications. Receive instant order confirmation via email or SMS.
- ETF selector tool. Filter the ETFs available for online trading effortlessly.
- Stock analysis tools. Take advantage of technical and fundamental stock analysis tools to analyse market movements and identify the market entry or exit points.
- Profit and loss calculator. Gain clarity on all the fees and charges for your trading transactions to calibrate the target buy/sell prices.
What are Standard Chartered Online trading’s pricing and fees?
Unlike many of its competitors, Standard Chartered charges a flat commission rate based on your banking relationship when you trade on its platform.
Here are SC Online Trading’s brokerage fees:
| Segment | Commission (SGX) | Commission (Other markets) |
| Minimum commission | S$10 |
|
| Priority banking clients | 0.18% | 0.20% |
| Personal banking clients | 0.20% | 0.25% |
Fees are accurate at the time of writing (20 June 2020).
All transactions are also subject to CDP imposed clearing fee (0.0325%), SGX trading fee (0.0075%), SGX settlement instruction fee ($0.35 per contract) and GST. Check the fee schedule listed on Standard Chartered Online Trading’s website.
What is a settlement account?
As you can only buy/sell securities if you have a designated settlement account in the currency that the security is placed/traded in, you’ll need to open a separate settlement account for each currency.These are the different currencies available and you’ll be able to open them when you submit your application for an online trading account with Standard Chartered:
- AUD
- HKD
- CHF
- JPY
- EUR
- SGD
- GBP
- USD
Is Standard Chartered Online Trading safe?
To protect clients’ online trades, the platform is equipped with security features such as:
- 128-bit SSL encryption. All information exchanged on the secure pages is encrypted to protect your data from getting tampered with before being transmitted to Standard Chartered’s server.
- Two Factor Authentication (2FA). Your trading Account is protected from unauthorised access through two layers of identity verification – your login ID and password, as well as a One-Time Password (OTP) generated from your security token or sent to your registered mobile number.
Pros and cons
Advantages
- Lowest fees. SC charges a minimum commission of $10 or a flat commission fee of 0.2% of the transaction value, whichever is higher. This is comparatively lower than the commissions levied by its competitors such as POEMS and DBS Vickers. Also, if you have a Priority Banking relationship with SC, there’ll not be a minimum commission fee.
- International markets. Trade international stocks in over 15 securities exchanges worldwide.
- Multi-channel platform. Conduct trades anytime, anywhere with SC Trading platform via any web-enabled device, tablet, and smart phone.
- User-friendly interface. Both SC Online/Mobile Trading platforms features an easy-to-use interface design, which helps streamline the stock screening and navigation process.
Disadvantages
- No charting tools. SC Online Trading platform does not have any charting tools
- Investments are held in custodian account. All the stocks you purchased are not held in your Central Depository Account (CDP) under your name. Instead, they are all held in a custodian account under Standard Chartered Bank.
- Not linked to SRS or CPFIS. As the purchased stocks are held in a custodian account, they’ll not be compatible with SRS or CPFIS. This means that you’ll not be able to leverage these funds for trades.
- No trading advice or daily market insights. SC does not offer any advice on its online trading platform, which may cause many investors to trade on speculation.
How do I sign up for a Standard Chartered Online Trading account?
To sign up for a trading account, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old and an existing customer of Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore). Once you’ve met the eligibility criteria, you may proceed to apply by submitting your application through the Online Banking platform (only applicable for those with Online Banking access and applications for Single Mandate accounts).
For applicants without Online Banking access, or if you’re applying for a Joint Online Trading account, you’ll have to submit a duly-filled copy of the application form (available for download on the SC Online Trading website) at any SC branches.
As part of the Online Trading account application process, it is also mandatory for clients to complete the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) form.
How do I contact support?
If you have any enquiries, you may reach Standard Chartered 24-hours online trading hotline at 1800 242 5333 (local) or +65 6242 5333 (from overseas). Only available from Mondays to Fridays.
Bottom line
At the time of writing (20 June 2020), Standard Chartered is undoubtedly the cheapest brokerage to trade on in Singapore.
SC Online Trading charges only a mere 0.20% commission on all SGX trades (and only 0.25% for all other markets), whereas majority of the brokerages in Singapore charge a tiered rate ranging from 0.18% (for trades above $100,000) to 0.28% (trades below $50,000). This means that as long as each trade is less than $100,000, you’ll enjoy a more favourable rate with SC than other brokerages.
But in order to charge such low fees, SC Online Trading platform compromised on multiple trading features that you normally find on other brokerages. Some prominent features that the platform lack are charting tools, advanced analysis and in-depth daily market reports. So if you require access to these features to make better-informed trade decisions, you may need to look somewhere else instead.
Compare with other brokers
Frequently asked questions
Important information: Powered by finder.com. This information is general in nature and is no substitute for professional advice. It does not take into account your personal situation. This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for most investors. You do not own or have any interest in the underlying asset. Capital is at risk, including the risk of losing more than the amount originally put in, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tax on profits may apply. Consider your own circumstances, including whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and possess the relevant experience and knowledge. We recommend that you obtain independent advice from a suitably licensed financial advisor before making any trades.
