Get started with CommSec International

Getting Started

With CommSec International, you can take advantage of investment opportunities across the globe – with access to many of the global share markets, including the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and the London Stock Exchange.

We’ve put together some handy guides to help you get started with your international account.

Check out our video how-to guide

Learn how to launch and fund your account, place a trade, download and review statements, plus so much more, with Market Analyst, Laura Besarati.

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Fund your account

Before you place a trade, you must transfer Australian Dollars in to your International Shares Account.

To transfer funds, log in to CommSec
Select Portfolio > Navigate to your International Shares Account > select Transfer Funds > Select To International Wallet to deposit Australian Dollars
View your linked Settlement Account’s Transferable Funds
Provide the Amount and Description of the transfer
Click Review to confirm the details > click Transfer

If you’d like to manage your own currency conversions, you can switch to an International Shares Plus Account from an International Shares Account at any time:

Log in to CommSec > Navigate to Settings > Create a Request > Type Switch to International Shares Plus and follow the prompts

Feature	International Shares	International Shares Plus
US Brokerage	USD$5.00 Or 0.12% (whichever is greater)	USD$9.95 Or 0.20% (whichever is greater)
FX conversion fee	0.55%*	0.55%*
Automatic FX conversions	✓	✓
Manage your own FX conversions	✗	✓
Multicurrency Wallet	✗	✓
Order Expiry	Day orders only	Day orders, good until cancel or at the open

Please read our Financial Services Guide to understand the rates and fees

Transfer funds

View your balance and withdraw funds

Log in to CommSec
Select Portfolio > find your International Shares Account
View your International Wallet balance:
Tradable funds is the equivalent amount in AUD that you have available to spend on BUY orders
Transferrable funds is the cleared funds in AUD that is available to transfer to your linked bank account
To withdraw funds, select Transfer Funds > To Bank Account > enter the Amount and Description to withdraw
Click Review to confirm the details > click Transfer

If you have open BUY orders resting (unexecuted) in the market, their value is not included in the Transferrable Funds Balance
If you withdraw funds from your International Wallet resulting in the remaining Tradable Funds being less than the amount required to settle your open BUY orders, we may cancel your BUY order(s)

Launch your international account

Once you launch your International Shares Account, you’ll be able to place a trade.

Log in to CommSec
Select Portfolio > navigate to your International Shares Account > select Launch Platform
Go to the Home page which gives you access to a wide range of functions and features

Launch account

Place an international trade

Once you’ve funded your account and launched the platform, you can place a trade.

Log in to CommSec > select Portfolio > navigate to your International Shares Account > select Launch Platform
Click Trade > Order Ticket (from the drop down menu) > enter your details and click Preview > confirm details are correct and press Transmit Order

Place a trade

For more information, we’ve created a step-by-step International Client Guide to help you use your new International Shares Account.

Navigating your CommSec International Account

Once you launch your account, there’s a lot you can do. From the Home page you’ll be able to access:

Total balance

View the balance of your portfolio (securities and cash) in Australian Dollars

Create your own Dashboard

Insert widgets of your choosing including Watchlists, Trades, Market Overviews and more

View funds

Available to withdraw (Cash) | Available to trade (Buying Power) | Dividends yet to be paid

Short cut to Trade

If you have the details of an order you want to trade, select Trade to quickly open an Order Ticket

The main menu bar also allows you to navigate through the platform and access:

Portfolio

View your held Securities and their details through the Positions tab
Access the Performance tab to see how your portfolio is going from weekly, monthly and yearly views
The Cash Report tab (for International Shares Plus users only) includes a summary of your cash balance reflected in Australian Dollars

Research

From the Research drop down menu, you can access:

Watchlists to help track potential investment opportunities
A selection of tools to help you analyse market performance
Market Scanner and Fundamentals Explorer to help you research a company before you invest

Trade

From the Trade drop down menu, you’ll be able to select:

Order Ticket to place trades
Orders & Trades to review open, cancelled, executed and partially executed orders
Close Positions to sell all or a percentage of your portfolio
Convert Currency for International Shares Plus users only

Performance & Reports

Under the Performance & Reports tab you can access:

Your statements, transaction confirmations, tax documents and other reports
Portfolio Analyst to evaluate the performance of your portfolio

For more information on navigating your International Shares Account, go to the International Platform – Home section of the International Client Guide.

Watchlists

With over 6,000 companies in the U.S. market alone, there’s an easy way to keep track of stocks that interest you with a CommSec International Watchlist.

It’s easy to set up and manage Watchlists in the international platform or on the CommSec website.

Benefits of a Watchlist

Monitor performance, movements and trends of shares you own or are interested in

View company news and research pages or place a trade directly from your Watchlist

Access pricing, share volume and market data points for listed companies

Create multiple lists for different purposes such as ‘U.S. stocks’ or ‘tech stocks’ Create multiple lists for different purposes such as ‘U.S. stocks’ or ‘tech stocks’

Set up a Watchlist

Log in to CommSec
Select Portfolio > navigate to your International Shares Account > select Launch Platform
On the Home page select Research
Select Watchlist from the drop down menu > go to My Lists > New Watchlist
In the Watchlist search bar enter the company name or symbol you want to watch > Save

Research and tools

By researching companies and sectors of interest, you can make more informed trading decisions and you can decide if it aligns with your international portfolio investment strategy.

With your International Shares Account, you have access to a range of research tool to help you analyse both market performance and individual companies.

How to access research tools^{^}

Log in to CommSec
Select Portfolio > navigate to your International Shares Account > select Launch Platform
On the Home page select Research from the drop down menu, and select from the following research tools:

Market overview

This market update gives you a wealth of information on the current or previous trading session, ranging from top news, market movers, performance by sector and much more

Why is it moving?

This concise tool, powered by the team at Benzinga, gives one sentence reasons why a stock is trading higher or lower on any given day

Trade Worldwide

This feature allows you to view news from markets around the world and see what markets are open for trading

Events Calendar

Use this calendar to monitor upcoming events for a particular stock. You can filter by companies on your Watchlist, in your portfolio, recently held or competitor companies

Exchange Notices

View global Exchange Notices ranging from press releases to news alerts. Filter by Category, Venue or Date or even download for your personal records

Market Scanner

Find stock based on price, volume and other criteria with the Market Scanner

Fundamentals Explorer

This tool helps you understand the fundamental value of an asset, and includes Company Profile, Financials, Key Ratios, Dividends and more

For more information on these research tools, go to the International Platform – Research section of the International Client Guide.

Boost your investing knowledge

Refine your strategy with in-depth articles and videos from the experts.

CommSec Stock’d

Fully stock’d with all the support, information and resources you need to build your confidence and make the right money moves.

Learn more

CommSec Learn

Whatever your level of investment experience, there’s always more to learn. CommSec Learn is designed to help you do just that.

Learn more

CommSec Market Update Podcast

Start and end your day with twice-daily market updates from Australia’s leading market experts.

Learn more

Questions you may have

Which international markets can I access through my International Shares Account?

An International Shares Account allows you to trade online in 13 share markets around the globe. This includes access to major markets such as the U.S., Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Japan and other selected countries within Europe and Asia. Find out more

What costs are involved with an International Shares Account?

It’s free to open an International Shares Account, however you will be charged brokerage for any trades that you execute. Brokerage rates can vary depending on the country and the size of the trade that is executed. Find out more

When do international trades settle?

Settlement for most markets around the world is the same as in Australia i.e. T+2 (trade day plus 2 business days, local public holidays may impact each specific market). Please note the U.S. and Canadian share markets will move from T+2 to T+1 from 28 May 2024. Find out more.

Need help?

Read the International Client Guide

For more details on how to use your International Shares Account.

Have a question or need help? Call CommSec’s International Desk on 1300 361 170 (24 hours on U.S. trading days) or +61 2 9115 1531 if calling from outside Australia.

View Forms & Brochures

Find out more about your International Shares Account with our forms and brochures.

Disclaimer

Commonwealth Securities Limited ABN 60 067 254 399 AFSL 238814 (CommSec) is a wholly owned but non-guaranteed subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL 234945.  CommSec is a Market Participant of ASX Limited and Cboe Australia Pty Limited, a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited.

^{^}CommSec does not authenticate the completeness or accuracy of externally sourced third-party information provided.

The information has been prepared without taking account of the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular individual. For this reason, any individual should, before acting on this information, consider the appropriateness of the information, having regards to the individual's objectives, financial situation or needs, and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice. You can view the International Shares Terms and Conditions, and CommSec Financial Services Guide, and should consider them before making any decision about these products and services.

Investing in overseas markets exposes you to risks including those related to movements in foreign currency exchange rates and market prices.