If you have old paper bp share certificates sitting in a drawer, a folder, or a box in the loft, you can sell them online at the live market price, without opening a stockbroker account. bp’s registrar, MUFG Corporate Markets, runs an online dealing service that handles the whole thing.
Most people don’t know this. Until recently, neither did we.
A client got in touch after discovering it for himself. We’d all long assumed those old paper certificates were a faff: a form here, a posted letter there, weeks of waiting. Instead he logged in, sold a chunk in minutes, and freed up around £20,000 to put towards his ISA allowance. He didn’t know it was possible, nor did we. So this one is for anyone in the same position.
Where do certificated bp shares actually live?
If you hold bp shares on paper, you’re a certificated shareholder. Your shares are registered with bp’s registrar, a company called MUFG Corporate Markets. They keep the record of who owns what. You might remember them under a different name, as registrars rebrand and change hands fairly often.
This is separate from any shares you hold through an employee plan. Those sit on a different platform and are handled separately. If your shares came from Sharesave or any of the many share incentive plans, that’s a separate conversation.
Can you sell bp share certificates without a stockbroker?
Yes. MUFG runs an online dealing service for private individuals resident in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. You can sell at live market prices online, or over the phone if you prefer.
This is the registrar’s own service rather than something we run, so their website has the definitive steps and the current charges, and that’s the place to check as you go.
How to sell your bp share certificates: step by step
In broad terms, and based on what our client found, it runs like this:
- Check that MUFG Corporate Markets is the registrar for your shares (they are for bp ordinary shares; any recent shareholder paperwork will confirm it)
- Register for the bp Share Centre at www.mybpshares.com, or go straight to the MUFG share dealing service
- Have your share certificate to hand, as you’ll need the details from it
- Place your sale online or by phone, at the live market price
- Post your certificate back with the transfer form they send you, and your proceeds will follow by cheque or bank transfer
That’s genuinely most of it. No stockbroker account to open first. No platform transfer to arrange. The route is well established, and our client found it quick and straightforward. Do follow MUFG’s own guidance for the current detail though, since the screens, timings and fees are theirs to set and can change.
If you’d rather speak to a person, the bp Shareholder Helpline is on 0800 701107, open weekdays.
Are old bp share certificates still valid?
Not every old certificate is valid. Only certificates for bp ordinary shares of US$0.25 each, issued on or after the share subdivision in October 1999, can be traded. If you’re holding something much older that quotes £1 shares, or 25p shares, or US$0.50 shares, it’s no longer valid in that form and you’ll need to speak to the registrar first.
If you’ve got several certificates, you can ask for them to be combined into one. And if you’ve lost a certificate, that can be sorted too, though it takes a little longer and there’s usually a fee.
Do you pay Capital Gains Tax when you sell bp shares?
Selling shares can trigger Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Everyone has an annual exempt amount, which is now much smaller than it used to be, at £3,000 for the 2026/27 tax year. Gains above that are taxable, and the rate depends on your wider income.
You’ll need to run a pooled cost calculation to work out your gain. We’re happy to help with this if you need it.
And the proceeds need to go somewhere sensible. Our client put his towards his ISA allowance, which is £20,000 for the year. That’s often a tidy next step, but it depends entirely on your own position.
Should you sell your bp shares at all?
That’s the real question, and it’s not one a registrar or a website can answer for you. Selling is easy now. Whether you should is a different matter, and it comes back to the framework we keep returning to in what should I do with my bp shares?. If you can’t afford for the holding to halve, and you don’t need it to double, that tells you something. But the right answer depends on your plan, your other assets, and what the money is actually for.
If you’d like to talk it through, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
Who can you think of that’s got an old bp share certificate sitting somewhere forgotten? Share this with them. This is exactly the kind of thing that gets put off because people assume it’s complicated.
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This is for educational purposes only. It’s not personal financial advice and we’re not recommending any specific course of action. Everyone’s situation is different, and whether to sell certificated bp shares depends on individual circumstances. You should seek professional financial advice before making any decisions.
While we have extensive experience helping bp employees and alumni optimise their benefits, Emery Little operates independently and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the bp group, including BP Pension Trustees Limited, on behalf of the BP Pension Fund. This allows us to provide objective, independent guidance focused solely on your best interests.
