Are there any acceptable variations in my name and address when I transfer shares?

These are examples of what is considered the same name/same owner versus different owner when transferring shares.

Getting this right is important, as brokers and registries verify this information when assessing a transfer request.

Same owners - examples

Current owner of the shares	New owner
An individual (e.g. Mr JOHN JAMES SMITH)	The same individual (e.g. MR JOHN JAMES SMITH) with the same spelling of their name (including salutation and middle names) with the same address (exact unit/house number, street, suburb and postcode)
A joint relationship (e.g. MR JOHN JAMES SMITH + MRS SARAH JANE SMITH)	The same joint relationship (e.g. MR JOHN JAMES SMITH + MRS SARAH JANE SMITH) with the same spelling of their name (including salutation and middle names) with the same address (exact unit/house number, street, suburb and postcode)
Company or trust (e.g. ABC COMPANY PTY LTD)	The same company or trust (e.g. ABC COMPANY PTY LTD) with the same spelling of the company/trust name with the same spelling of the trust designation (i.e. the words within the < >) with the same trustees

Tip: if there is different spelling, there is a good chance that your transfer request will be rejected. So change your details before transferring – this involves contacting the organisation that has the old details (which could be CommSec, the other broker, or the share registry).

Different owners - examples

Current owner of the shares	New owner
An individual	A different individual A joint relationship A company or trust
A joint relationship	An individual A joint relationship of different people A company or trust
Company or trust	An individual A different company A different trust A trust with different account designation A trust with different trustees

Help & FAQs