Simply download the PensionBee app or sign up online with some basic details, including your National Insurance (NI) number. If you’re unable to locate it, you can easily find your NI number online using HMRC’s free tool.

Joining us is free and we’ll only start charging you one simple annual fee once we begin managing your pension.

You can pick from our diverse range of curated pension plans or we’ll automatically invest you in one of our two default options depending on your age. Our Global Leaders Plan is our default for those under 50 with our 4Plus Plan the default option for those 50 or over. You can change your plan at any time by going to the ‘Account’ section of your BeeHive.

What if I don’t have an email address?

In order to set up a PensionBee account, you need to have your own email address which you have full control over. We’re a fully digital platform. We use two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as two-step authentication, which requires a mobile number and it’s a feature we’ve built into your PensionBee account.

Yes, a person can sign up on behalf of a customer if they hold valid power of attorney or deputyship documents. However, they must provide certified copies of the court order documents, along with their ID and proof of address for our review.

Once we receive your documents, we’ll review them to ensure they meet our requirements. If everything is in order, you’ll be able to proceed with the sign up process. If there are any issues, we’ll contact you for clarification.

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Anyone with an existing UK pension can become a customer of PensionBee, regardless of nationality or tax residency. If you’re self-employed, you can start a pension with PensionBee without needing an existing pension. People under 75 can get tax relief on pension contributions if they meet these requirements:

• you must have earned income in the UK that is taxable for that tax year;
• you must also be a resident of the UK at some point during that tax year; or
• you must have been a resident in the five years prior to that tax year and still be a resident when you join the scheme.

Alternatively, you can have earnings from overseas Crown employment that are subject to UK tax. Or be the spouse or civil partner of someone who has such earnings. Meeting these requirements makes you a ‘relevant UK individual’. Only contributions from ‘relevant UK individuals’ are eligible for tax relief.

Customers are responsible for seeking their own tax advice, as eligibility and personal taxation affairs can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances, especially for those who are overseas or moving abroad.

From your retirement age (currently 55, and rising to 57 from 2028) you can access your pension money. Withdrawals must be paid into a UK bank account in the name and address of the customer (matching their PensionBee details). In addition, the bank must be directly regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). We’re unable to authorise payments to any bank accounts that don’t meet this criteria.

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Many pension providers, including PensionBee, use online processes to verify your identity. We don’t usually require customers to provide ID, however if this is needed you can send it to us digitally. There are some providers who might require a certified copy of your ID, or name change document like a marriage certificate or deed poll.

In some cases, providers might ask you to send an original document in the post but we’ll encourage them to accept a certified copy instead, to try to save you the hassle and to speed up the process. You can read our Acceptable Proof of Identification policy to learn more.

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Yes! We’ll make a £100 contribution into your pension if you tell a friend about us and they open a PensionBee account with a pension balance of £100 or more.