To help you save you time, avoid unnecessary disappointment and ensure the smoothest service possible, here are a few tips for adding money to your Vanguard accounts – whether an individual savings account (ISA/Junior ISA), general account and/or self-invested personal pension (SIPP).
Card payment
- For debit card deposits, please note that your bank is likely to have a daily limit on your online card transactions. Please contact your bank first before making a large deposit and ask them to increase this limit. Alternatively, you can make several smaller payments.
- If your payment has been unsuccessful you can go to ‘Transactions’ > ‘Cash Statement’ where you will be given the option to either ‘Pay Now’ or ‘Cancel Order’. Pay Now will be available for 24 hours and allow you to reattempt the payment and any associated buy orders will be placed. Cancel Order will cancel the payment and any associated orders. (Note: for ISA accounts this will reset your ISA allowance balance to what it was prior to the unsuccessful payment).
- Make sure to check all your debit card details carefully (including name and address), as any mistakes, however small, can often lead to failed payments.
- When trying again it sometimes also helps to clear your browsing history and/or to make the payment with a different browser.
- Please note: you cannot use a credit card to fund your Vanguard accounts and you can only make payments using a debit card issued by a UK bank or building society.
- Make your deposit as early in the day as possible and during normal business hours, so you’re able to get help from your bank, if needed.
When you want to add money to one of your Vanguard accounts, you can get started by clicking on Payments. This will be on the left hand side of your account if you're viewing on a desktop, or if you're using a mobile device, you'll see it when you click into the menu. Then under the Money in tab, you will see Single payments where you will need to pick from two options: Add cash or Buy investments.
You can select Add cash if you just want to put some cash in your account for now and are going to decide where to invest it later. Just be aware that it takes a day for the cash to clear in your account before you can invest it. If you already know which fund or funds you'd like to invest in, you can select Buy investments.
Then you'll see two buying options: buy at the next available price and buy at the live price. This means that rather than your buy order going through straight away, it will happen later. For mutual funds that's because they're only traded at one specific time per day. This is known as the fund's trade point. So, for example, if you place your buy order at 3pm and the fund's trade point is at 10pm, your order will go through at 10pm at the price available at 10pm.
The fund's price may have changed between when you placed the order and the fund's trade point. For Exchange Traded Funds the trade points are at 10:15am and 2:10pm each working day. With ETFs you also have an option to buy at a live price. This means your buy order will go through straight away rather than waiting for a trade point.
There is an extra charge of £7.50 for using this service and you need to have cash available in your account to cover the costs of your order. Live prices are only available when the London Stock Exchange is open 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. Once you've chosen how you'd like to buy your funds, click Continue, then click Add more investments to choose which funds you would like to invest in. Many of our funds are available in two different share classes and you can choose which share class you'd like here. The accumulation share class is the default option. Accumulation funds reinvest your money to grow it for the future. If you'd rather receive an income from your investments right now, you can use the toggle to show funds that pay an income.
These funds pay their returns into your account as a cash dividend. Once you've picked your funds, click Next, then click on the payment method. You can add your debit card details, or if you have cash sitting in your account, you can pay with that. Before you submit your payment please review the cost and charges document and the Key Investor Information Documents for the funds you're investing in.
Then on the final page, check the box and Submit. Making a payment works slightly differently if you're paying into your personal pension. If you are making a payment into your personal pension, you'll be given three options. One: You, if you're using your debit card. Two: Your company, if you're a company director using your company debit card. Three: Third party, a payment from another Vanguard holder. Once you've picked an option, you can then Select your own funds or a Target Retirement Fund based on your chosen retirement age. We hope you find this information useful. If you'd like to know more, you can always try our chatbot.
Regular payments
Regular payments will automatically stop if you reach your annual ISA or Junior ISA limits in any one tax year. So, if this applies to you, remember to set them up again in the new tax year. (If you don’t reach your annual allowance limit, the payments continue uninterrupted.)
To set up a new regular payment, log into your account and click on Payments. This will be on the left hand side of your account if you're viewing on a desktop, or if you're using a mobile device, you'll see it when you click into the menu. Any monthly payments you've already set up to pay into your account will be shown here. To add a new one, click New regular, or if you've got multiple accounts select the account you want from the dropdown menu. The next step is to choose the payment date. The first payment date needs to be at least eight working days in the future. Now you need to choose your funds. Many of our funds are available in two different share classes and you can choose which share class you'd like here.
The accumulation share class is the default option. Accumulation funds reinvest your money to grow it for the future. If you'd rather receive an income from your investments right now, you can use the toggle to show funds that pay an income. These funds pay their returns into your account as a cash dividend. Each fund has a Key Investor Information Document containing key details about the fund, which you should take the time to read before investing. Add the amount you want to invest next to each of the funds you've chosen and click Next.
If you've never set up a regular payment before and don't have a bank account linked to your Vanguard account, you'll need to do that now. Once that's all done, please review the costs and charges document and Key Investor Information Documents for the funds you're invested in before submitting your new monthly payment. We hope you find this information useful.
If you'd like to know more, you can always try our chatbot.
To amend your regular payment, log into your account and click on Payments. This will be on the left hand side of your account if you're viewing on a desktop, or if you're using a mobile device, you'll see it when you click into the menu. Any monthly payments you've set up to pay into your account will be shown here. To change a monthly payment click the three grey dots under order Options and select Edit or Cancel. Editing a payment will let you change the payment amount, the payment date, or the fund you're investing in. Choosing Cancel will stop future payments. When you've made your changes click Next and review your choices before confirming. If you're amending a payment that's due within the next eight working days, that payment will go ahead as normal.
Your changes will take effect from the following month. If you're looking to amend a monthly withdrawal, go to the Money out section. This is where you'll find all the monthly withdrawals you've set up. Just like changing a monthly payment, click on the three grey dots and select Edit or Cancel. When you've made your changes click on Next, where you can review and confirm your changes.
We hope you find this information useful. If you'd like to know more, you can always try our chatbot.
Company payments
- You can make single payments using a company debit card from a UK bank account.
- If it’s the first time you’ve done this, we’ll need to verify your company. We’ll need a few details like your company’s registered business number and the number of shareholders. Verifying your company can take a few weeks but you can make one company payment while you wait.
- You’ll need to be a registered company director or shareholder of the business. Find out more about making company contributions to your pension.
- Company payments made into personal pensions by business owners should not be confused with other work-related pensions. Your employer cannot make payments into your Vanguard Personal Pension.
Please note that cash added using a debit card won't be available to invest until the money clears on the next business day. However, as long as the deposit is in your Vanguard account, it will count towards the tax year in which you completed it.
If you have any further concerns or queries, please visit our website’s Help and Support pages. Additionally, we answer your 10 most common questions here.
Investment risk information
The value of investments, and the income from them, may fall or rise and investors may get back less than they invested.
Eligibility to invest in a Vanguard Personal Pension depends on your individual circumstances. Please be aware that pension and tax rules may change in the future and the value of investments can go down as well as up, so you might get back less than you invested. You cannot usually access your pension savings or make any withdrawals until the age of 55.
The eligibility to invest in either ISA or Junior ISA depends on individual circumstances and all tax rules may change in future.
Important information
Vanguard Asset Management Limited only gives information on products and services and does not give investment advice based on individual circumstances. If you have any questions related to your investment decision or the suitability or appropriateness for you of the product[s] described, please contact your financial adviser.
This article is designed for use by, and is directed only at persons resident in the UK.
The information contained herein is not to be regarded as an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy or sell securities in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation is against the law, or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation, or if the person making the offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so. The information does not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. You must not, therefore, rely on it when making any investment decisions.
The information contained herein is for educational purposes only and is not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investments.
Issued by Vanguard Asset Management Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.
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