Let us face it, the Charles Stanley Direct site is complex from a customer point of view. So I needed help to navigate and used the chat facility. I was pleasantly surprised how quick the responce was... See more
Company replied
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CS Direct is a generally efficient and low-cost platform, with a good Helpdesk - particularly as the staff are anglophone and based in Edinburgh. The charges are sensible. I would have given you 5/5... See more
Company replied
Used to be the best value/service for the private investor, with a very personal approach. Since Raymond James took over it is not such good value and the Help Desk does not seem to be so customer or... See more
Company replied
Great platform, which is easy to use and reliable. Good value on fees. Excellent reporting. Slow take-on of a pension I recommended to a friend recently.
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Company details
Written by the company
Charles Stanley Direct is a personal financial service combining a modern digital experience with the traditional client focused values of private wealth management. It provides all self investors with the knowledge, tools, products, and services to take control of their financial futures and realise the rewards of your investments. Whether you are a novice or an experienced investor we are here to help you every step of the way. You can call our award-winning client service team for technical help or speak to a qualified financial coach if you need guidance. Available online and via the Charles Stanley app.
Online investing
Written by the company
- Invest in your future
- Sign up in minutes to our first-class service to implement your investment decisions, through our secure platform and app.
Contact info
Ropemaker Place, 25 Ropemaker Street, EC2Y 9LY, London, United Kingdom
- 0131 550 1234
- info@charles-stanley-direct.co.uk
- www.charles-stanley-direct.co.uk
4.0
Great
184 reviews
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If you log on to Charles Stanley via a…
If you log on to Charles Stanley via a mobile phone web browser there is no option to log out! That leaves web sessions open and a huge security issue if you lose you mobile phone. Having spoken to Charles Stanley about this they have confirmed they won't fix the problem. I am lost for words. In these days of industrial scale hacking and phone theft Charles Stanley are happy to leave customer accounts open for thieves to empty their accounts. Truly terrible service from a company I previously recommended to many friends and relatives.
Update after reply from CS...
This is not true, there isn't an option to logout anywhere on the mobile web browser version of your sysetm. Your staff have confirmed this directly to me. They were also very clear that your IT staff would not make any changes to include it. Finally, thanks for confirming that a thief has 15 minutes to empty a customer's accounts if they steal someone's phone. What on Earth were your staff thinking when designing this system? It's like they have forgotten they are running a stockbroking firm.
October 27, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I would like to apologise that you were given the impression that we would not address this issue, particularly as this is not the case. We understand why the option to log out of your account on a mobile device is important. While a logout option is available, we recognise that it is not sufficiently visible when accessing our website via a mobile browser, and we are working to improve this.
In the meantime, I'd like to reassure you that online sessions automatically expire after 15 minutes of inactivity, providing an additional layer of security if a device is lost or left unattended.
For customers accessing their accounts regularly on mobile devices, we would also recommend using the Charles Stanley Direct app, which is designed specifically for mobile use. Once again we appreciate you highlighting this issue and have forwarded your feedback to the team in charge of resolution.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Good service and decent platform
Good service and decent platform. Fees are OK. Annoying that they charge £25 for same / next day transfers out in this day and age.
October 22, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Many thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. BACs transfers are free but we note and appreciate your comments.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Great and efficient customer service
October 21, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Andy:
I'm very pleased to hear that we were able to help. That is exactly what we aim for and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Reliable prompt advice
October 17, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Rob:
Thank you for your comments. We genuinely appreciate your feedback and are here if you need us again.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
The text help is very responsive and…
The text help is very responsive and switched on. Same with phone help when I have needed it over the years.
October 5, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear David:
Many thanks for your feedback. I'm very pleased to hear we have been of help. We do our best and are here as and when you need us.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Robert:
Many thanks for taking the time to leave feedback and I'm pleased to read that we were readily and promptly able to help. That is exactly what we aim for!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Online chat.
A quick reply & good advice contacting the online chat. Thank you Tia.
September 14, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Ian:
I'm glad to read that we were able to assist readily and also I passed your comments to Tia. We appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback, and are here to help as and when you need us.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Answer the question
Answer the question. I asked how long it would take to transfer the shares, that was not answered.
September 7, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Mr Collins:
Please accept my sincere apologies. I can see that you received prompt responses but that part of your query was unaddressed. Fortunately we can organise such transfers quickly and readily, without charge. I'll send you a secure message now with further details that will allow you to reply should you have any further queries.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Excellent online support
Excellent online support. Staff always answer my queries with clear, helpful replies. I feel confident in using this investment platform simply by knowing I can access their support. Thank you!
August 25, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Thank you very much for the feedback. We do our best to provide responsive and supportive answers to the queries we receive and I'm very pleased to read that this is the level of service you've received from us. We are here as needed!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Jordan:
Thank you very much for the feedback. I'm glad you've had a positive experience with us. We are here as and when you need us.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Unclear fees and poor website
Unclear fees and poor website. Wouldn't recommend.
July 27, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear JK:
I'm really sorry that we didn't meet your expectations. Our charges should be easy to find, both for new and existing clients but are here for reference: https://www.charles-stanley.co.uk/services/invest/diy/online-investing/rates-and-charges. We are also on hand to answer any queries you may have about them. And watch this space with respect to the website!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Fees charged were quite excessive for…
Fees charged were quite excessive for the amount I had invested. I would avoid Charles Stanley Direct and search for an alternative investment platform where fees are more fair and reasonable.
July 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Mr Ahmed:
I'm sorry to read of your disappointment with the charges but appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. I would at least like to assure you that we do our utmost to offer value for money through our range of services. In the event you have any questions about what you've been charged, I can be reached at ClientExperience@cs-d.co.uk.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
My query was answered promptly and…
My query was answered promptly and efficiently. It was helpful to have the messaging service.
July 14, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Rod:
I'm very pleased to hear that we were able to help so efficiently, which is exactly what we aim to achieve. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review.
Best regards,
Marcus
Marcus Tree
Charles Stanley Direct
I was being shown the door
Well Charles Stanley Direct have done what they wanted to do by getting me to move my account - After being with them for over 20 years and only dealing now and again i suppose it not what they want - But it was the way they done it which leaves me angry - First of all they stopped streaming prices and then when i told the call centre they told me a pack of lies by saying it was a issue across their system which was incorrect as i contacted friends who have CS direct account and they are all working fine with their streaming data -The good thing to come from this is that the online dealing platform i have gone to is far far better - So accounts holders beware if your streaming prices stop you know that your being shown the door
July 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Barry:
I'm really sorry if we were unable to resolve technical issues for you, but please be assured that we still offer streaming prices throughout the service. If we are still able to support you, please contact us directly at ClientExperience@cs-d.co.uk to try and get streaming working for you once again.
Best regards,
Marcus
Marcus Tree
Charles Stanley Direct
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Sebastian:
Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback but I'm sorry to read of your unhappiness. You're very welcome to contact me directly at ClientExperience@cs-d.co.uk. The changes to our charges were introduced in mid-2024, so this does go back a little while, but I'll be happy to review our records relating to the communications we sent at the time and answer any queries you may have.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Once I found my way around I was able…
Once I found my way around I was able to sell investments. Was doing over the weekend so nobody available on chat - they got back to me first thing when they opened but I had already solved my dilemma
June 20, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Many thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. We aim to get back to any queries left out of hours on our 'chat' service as quickly as possible and I'm pleased to hear that this happened in your case. We are here if you need us again!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Fast response to query while I was…
Fast response to query while I was online. Have always had efficient service from Charles Stanley Direct.
June 24, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Ian:
I'm very pleased to see that we were able to help readily, which is exactly what we aim for. Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
JISA / ISA queries
i had a number of queries about grand parents contributing to JISAs and others. The online chat experience was great - very quick response and i know exactly what to do
June 22, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Thank you very much for the feedback. I'm glad the team were able to help. We're here if you need us!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Helpdesk response good
Helpdesk response via online chat was pretty quick and sensible, from a human as well.
June 10, 2026
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Ray:
Thank you very much for your feedback. I'm pleased to hear that you got a prompt, sensible answer - just as you should expect - and, yes, it would have been from a human too!
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
Reply from Charles Stanley Direct
Dear Kerry:
Many thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate it and are here if we can be of further service.
Best regards,
Louise
Louise Miller
Head of Client Experience
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