FAQs

We have gathered some of the most frequently asked questions which are of general interest to you. The answers provided should clarify any questions you may have. If you do not find the information you are looking for here, please contact us.

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You can apply for a Webtrader Account ("Account") online by using the pop-up account application. Please note as part of the application process, you will be required to provide The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (”Standard Bank”) with the necessary documentation as requested in the online application form. Standard Bank will then validate your application and contact you via email or telephone when your Account is opened or if you are required to submit further documentation to it. The validation process ordinarily takes up to two Business Days (which excludes Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in the Republic of South Africa) from the time Standard Bank is in receipt of your completed application and all of the supporting documentation. Standard Bank will then notify you by email as soon as your Account is opened.

Prior to being allowed to trade, a minimum amount of USD 1 000 (one thousand US dollars) is required to be deposited into the banking account provided on our website and such amount will then be credited to your trading account within 5 (five) business days. Please note that the minimum trade size in respect of some of the products on the Trading Platform may require an amount in excess of the USD 1 000 (one thousand US Dollars) to be available in your trading account.

Full details of our trading costs, commissions and other charges for all the products available on the Webtrader platform can be viewed in the respective sub-pages under the Fees & Costs

The Platform offers a comprehensive range of trading products, including:

  • FX Spot — competitive margin trading on 160+ Forex currency crosses.
  • Spot Precious Metals.
  • Shares from 31 major international stock exchanges.
  • Exchange Traded Funds & Exchange Traded Commodities on 17 major stock exchanges.

Additional products may be added from time to time at the sole discretion of Standard Bank.

Click here to view our current product offering.

All of the above products can be traded via the Platform. In addition to live trading and direct access to your Account, the Platform offers a wealth of trading information (at an additional cost) such as real-time quotes, charts and analysis to assist you in making successful trading decisions.

Yes you can edit an order before it becomes a trade [order is executed in the market]. Trades may be done telephonically via the call centre during its hours of operation. Refer to the contact details on the right.

All trades concluded via the Platform will be confirmed on screen shortly after execution and subsequently by email. Please ensure that you provide Standard Bank with your updated details, as and when they change.

If you have sufficient settled funds in your trading account we will endeavor to transfer your funds within 5 (five) Business Days after Standard Bank has approved the withdrawal. This duration of time is needed in order for the different banks involved in the transaction, to do the necessary clearances and transfer. If you experience problems withdrawing funds, please contact the call centre.

Your dividends will be credited to your trading account on the Platform and will only be transferred to your bank account upon receipt of your withdrawal request.

The Dividend Withholding tax rate levied on dividends paid in other jurisdictions may vary. For example if you earn dividends on any stocks held in the USA, 30% will generally be withheld from that income. South Africa has double taxation agreements in place with certain countries which could reduce the amount of withholding taxes payable. Therefore, in certain circumstances, you may be able to reclaim some taxes that you paid on these dividends. Note that Standard Bank currently does not offer this type of tax reclaim service in-house but we can refer you to an internationally recognized tax reclaim service that can assist you. Contact the call centre for further details in this regard.

After you have opened your Account and it is fully operational you may transfer any foreign shareholdings (which can include ETFs and ETCs) provided such shares are in a dematerialised format by sending a letter to your existing broker requesting that your shares be transferred to your trading account held with Standard Bank. In the letter, remember to quote your Webtrader trading account number.

Webtrader authentication relies on a RSA 1024-bit key generated and stored on the client workstation and data traffic between Webtrader and Standard Bank is encrypted using a RC4 128-bit session key. Webtrader provides a highly secure trading environment using state-of-the-art encryption for communications with Standard Bank.

Webtrader authentication relies on a RSA 1024-bit key generated and stored on the client workstation and data traffic between Webtrader and Standard Bank is encrypted using a RC4 128-bit session key. Webtrader provides a highly secure trading environment using state-of-the-art encryption for communications with Standard Bank.

Banking details

Please refer to Funding your Account for further details

Contact details

To send Standard Bank a general query or to speak to a consultant directly, please contact the call centre

Telephone : Our telephone lines are open from 08:30 am to New york Stock exchange closing time. (time may vary due to daylight savings time). (South Africa)
Our telephone lines are open from 08:30 am to New york Stock exchange closing time. (time may vary due to daylight savings time). (International)
Email : [email protected]
Operating Hours : Monday to Friday, 8:30am (GMT +2) until New York Market Close; excluding Internationally recognised Holidays
How many times can I try to log on to the platform with the incorrect password before I am locked out?

You can attempt to log on to the site 3 (three) times with the incorrect password before the system will lock you out. If you are locked out, you will be required to reset your password. To do this, click on the FORGOTTEN YOUR PASSWORD link below the login box and follow the instructions. If you experience further problems after this, please contact the call centre for assistance.

What do I do if I forget my password?

Please reset your password. To do this, click on the 'FORGOTTEN YOUR PASSWORD' link located below the login box and follow the instructions. If you experience further problems after this, please contact our call centre for assistance.

All share prices on Webtrader are delayed by approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Should you wish to trade on or see live share prices, you need to subscribe for the relevant data provided by the respective stock exchanges. You can do this by selecting ‘Manage subscriptions’ in the Subscription box on the Account tab on the Platform. You can then select which exchange you want to subscribe to. Note that you will have to enter into an agreement with a third party vendor (and not Standard Bank) in respect of the exchange from which you would like to obtain data.

Note also that the charges differ per exchange. The monthly charge will be debited in advance directly from your trading account.Standard Bank would recommend that you carefully read and understand the subscriber agreement you intend to enter into with the relevent third party service provider.

You can view your account statement at any time during the day or month, by selecting the 'Account statement' function in your Account view in Webtrader. In this window you can decide for which period you want to generate the statement by completing the 'from' and 'to' date fields. You can also print the statement directly from this screen.

No, this type of facility is not offered on Webtrader.

Should you wish to close your trading account, contact the call centre. Standard Bank will arrange for the closing for your trading account and refund any monies that may be due to you. Please refer to Withdrawing Funds or Closing your Trading Account for further information