If you are used to buying shares on Trading 212, Freetrade, or eToro, dealing with your parents’ paper share certificates can be baffling.
A common question we get is: “Can I just take a photo of my Dad’s British Gas certificate and upload it to my Trading 212 account to sell it?”
The short answer is No. Here is why, and what you must do instead.
The “Name Mismatch” Problem
- Your App: Is in your name (and holds assets in a “Nominee” account).
- The Certificate: Is in your parent’s name (and is a “Certificated” legal document).
- The Rule: You cannot transfer assets into an account with a different name. It triggers strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) blocks.
The “Paper” Problem Most modern “Commission-Free” apps are 100% digital. They simply do not have a back-office team to process paper stock transfer forms. They will reject any attempt to send them physical certificates.
The Solution: The 3-Step “Digitisation” Process To help your parent sell, you cannot use your app. You must:
- Open a Traditional Broker Account: Use a broker that accepts paper (like Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor, or AJ Bell). Ideally, open it in your parent’s name.
- Post the Certificates: Fill out a “CREST Transfer Form” and post it to the broker.
- Wait for Digitisation: It takes 2-4 weeks. Once the shares appear on the screen, then you can sell them instantly.
Don’t have a Broker? If you just want to sell them without opening a new account, use a Postal Share Dealing service (offered by Equiniti or Link). It’s slower and costs more per trade, but it saves the hassle of opening a new digital account.