What it does
Hatch provides US share and ETF investing for New Zealand users. A free account supports browsing, watchlists and an introductory course before funding. Trading includes market, limit and stop-loss orders, with separate options for automatic investing and dividend reinvestment.
Hatch lets you research before depositing money. Register an email address and password to browse shares, create a watchlist or take the Getting Started Course. Before investing, complete the identity questions and verification with a passport or New Zealand driver’s licence. Adults need to be over 18; parents or guardians can set up Kids Accounts through their own account.
After funding, choose a security and an order type. Market, limit and stop-loss orders serve different execution purposes. Sale proceeds return to the USD account for reinvestment or withdrawal to a New Zealand bank account. Order updates and dividend notifications arrive by email, while the account view shows holdings and investment progress.
Standard brokerage is US$3 to buy or sell up to 300 shares, then US$0.01 for each additional share. Small Auto-invest orders have a 1% brokerage cap per stock; dividend reinvestment has no brokerage charge. There is no monthly subscription. Currency conversion between NZD and USD costs 0.5%, including when withdrawing.
A US$1.50 tax-form charge is deducted from the first deposit, followed by US$0.50 annually for the specified US tax filing service. These charges are separate from dealing fees. Because standard brokerage is a flat amount for the first 300 shares, it takes a larger share of a small manual order than a large one.
Strengths
- Free registration provides watchlists and learning before account funding
- Offers several order types and emailed execution updates
- Dividend reinvestment avoids the standard brokerage charge
Watch out for
- Small manual orders can carry a relatively large flat dealing fee
- NZD/USD conversion charges apply when depositing and withdrawing
Best for
- New Zealand users researching and holding US shares or ETFs
- Investors who want a watchlist before committing funds
Sources
- Hatch free signup, watchlists and adult or child accounts (Oct 27, 2026)
- Hatch funding, order and withdrawal workflow (Oct 27, 2026)
- Hatch brokerage, conversion and tax-form charges (Oct 27, 2026)