Closure of Macquarie Online Trading

If you’re an adviser, please read our Adviser Help Centre article.

Macquarie Online Trading closed to new applications on Wednesday 22 January 2025..

On Saturday 22 February 2025, Macquarie Online Trading transitioned to Bell Direct for retail clients and Desktop Broker for advised clients, an online share trading platform offered by Bell Financial Group (Bell).

Importantly, the online trading experience remains largely the same, with clients gaining access to some additional digital features which further enhance the online trading experience, including a dedicated Bell mobile app and access to trade on US markets.

• Macquarie Online Trading was powered by Bell’s technology platform for a number of years, but branded by Macquarie. This arrangement ceased after Saturday 22 February 2025, and trading accounts are now provided directly by Bell. This means if you held a Macquarie Online Trading account, you became a Bell client for your trading account.
• Retail clients can view their trading balance and access their account via the Bell website at belldirect.com.au. Clients with an adviser appointed can access their trading account at desktopbroker.com.au. Your Macquarie Online Trading account will no longer be visible when you log into Macquarie Online or the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.

• Brokerage fees on your online trading account have stayed the same. You can view Bell Direct fees at belldirect.com.au/smarter/fees/mot. Please speak to your adviser for more information about your Desktop Broker fees.
• Your Macquarie Cash Management Account, and any other accounts you have with Macquarie, haven’t changed and you can continue viewing your account by logging into Macquarie Online or the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.
• Existing direct debit and/or transactional authorities haven’t changed and will stay with Third Party Platform Pty Ltd (wholly owned by Bell). Any other third party authorities you’ve previously approved have also been kept.
• If you hold have a margin loan, it has been retained as part of the transition to Bell and will continue to act as the primary settlement account.

Your account was transitioned to Bell Financial Group’s Desktop Broker product which is an online share trading platform. Your adviser was notified of this transition and will continue to be linked to your account.

• Most of the product functionality, including the online navigation and trading screens, remain similar to Macquarie Online Trading, but is branded by Bell, not Macquarie.
• In addition to this, there are some additional digital features which further enhance the online trading experience, including a dedicated Bell mobile app and access to trade on US markets.

Your brokerage fees remain the same. You can view Bell Direct fees at belldirect.com.au/smarter/fees/mot. Please speak to your adviser for more information about your Desktop Broker fees.

You can view the current Macquarie Cash Management Account interest rates online.

• Clients who manage their account without the help of an adviser can access their account via the Bell website at belldirect.com.au and advised clients can view their account at desktopbroker.com.au
• Your linked Macquarie Cash Management Account, and any other accounts you have with Macquarie, haven’t changed and you can continue viewing your account as you do today, by logging into Macquarie Online or the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.
• After Saturday 22 February 2025, your trading account is no longer visible when you log into Macquarie Online or the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.
• If you have a margin loan, it has been retained as part of the transition to Bell and continues to act as the primary settlement account.  
• Bell will send a welcome communication explaining how to log in. When setting up new login credentials, ensure the same Macquarie password is not used. Bell will not prompt you to share your full Macquarie ID. For more information about security and scams and how to protect yourself, please visit the security hub on the Macquarie website.

From Friday 21 February 2025, Bell will be able to support your trading account. For any questions about your Macquarie accounts, including your Macquarie Cash Management Account, please contact us via live chat through Macquarie Online or the Macquarie Mobile Banking app.

For all enquiries regarding Bell Direct, please contact:

Phone: 1300 786 199 (within Australia) or +61 3 8663 2700 (international) from 8am – 7pm Monday to Friday (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Email: support@belldirect.com.au

Live Chat: go to belldirect.com.au and click on the ‘Help’ button on the bottom-right corner.

For all enquiries regarding Desktop Broker, please contact:

Phone: 1300 726 177 (within Australia) or +61 3 8663 2771 (international) from 8am – 5:30pm Monday to Friday (Eastern Standard Time)

Email: support@desktopbroker.com.au

All inflight trades as of 22 February 2025 will continue to be settled. No further action is required.

Your account number stays the same, but the first three letters (MOT) have been removed.

Yes, any third party authorities that you’ve previously appointed have been transferred to your Bell Direct or Desktop Broker account.