What is round-up investing?

You know when you use cash to pay for something and get change? In the old days, people would collect that change and put it in a jar. Then they'd take the jar to the bank, and add it to their bank accounts.

Round-up investing, sometimes called spare change investing, is like that, but it happens automatically when you pay with your card, and you choose where it gets invested.

It's a form of micro-investing, which is when you build an investment portfolio with small amounts over time rather than large lump sums all at once.

Your purchases trigger your investment app to invest a little more on your behalf. It can add up to a lot.

Rounding up 50 transactions by 50c each could add up to an extra $25 over one month - or $300 per year in additional investment contributions. Whether those contributions grow, hold their value, or decline in value depends on market performance. Returns aren't guaranteed.

Why do people use round-up investing?

Round-up investing is a way that people can try out investing by linking it to something they already do. Adding a few cents here and there can feel less intimidating than seeing larger dollar amounts leave your account at once - in fact, you might not even notice it.

It's passive, which means you set it up once and it operates in the background unless you turn it off - which you can do at any time, for example if you decide it's not for you.

And if you have a shopping spree or use your card more than usual and feel guilty about it, you might feel less guilty because you know some of it is going toward your investments.

Some investors find that automating contributions helps them stay consistent regardless of short-term market movements, though this doesn't eliminate investment risk.

What should round-up investors remember?

That said, it's worth remembering a few things: you'll want to check that the fees don't outweigh your investments, which will be smaller.

Investing is risky no matter how much or frequently you invest, and you might be tempted to set and forget it and not notice that your needs are changing over time, or even that it's stopped triggering properly.

What is automated investing?

Round-up investing is just one type of automated investing. Automated investing is when you have a system for adding to your investment portfolio that runs on rules you set up, so you can be as hands on, or as set and forget, as you want to be.

What are the ways you can automate your investing?

There are a few different types of automated investing. Here are some of them.

Recurring investments: Your investment platform will have its own name for this. At Spaceship we call them investment plans. This is when you choose an amount and frequency of money to regularly invest in a portfolio you choose.

There are reasons people do this: mainly to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging, which is investing a fixed amount regularly regardless of market conditions, and to manage their investing to make sure they're consistently prioritising their wealth building.

Here is some more about dollar-cost averaging.

Depending on who you invest with, there may be other types of automated investing on offer:

Payday Boosts: We offer this at Spaceship. Your investment gets triggered when a specific amount of money is deposited into your account, such as your pay.

Coffee Boosts: We offer this at Spaceship. Your investment gets triggered when you make a purchase from a specific category, such as a hospitality shop.

Uber Boosts: We offer this at Spaceship. Your investment gets triggered when you catch an Uber.

Rainy Day Boosts: We offer this at Spaceship. Your investment gets triggered when the Bureau of Meteorology records that it's rained in a postcode of your choosing.

Cashback investing: Raiz offers this. It's when you make a purchase at a specific set of shops, and a percentage of the purchase value is deposited back into your Raiz account.

Why do people automate their investments?

There are many different ways to invest in Australia, and auto investing is one of the most popular. Generally, people who automate their investing do so because they want to keep building wealth in a particular asset, such as a managed fund, ETF, or individual stock.

By automating your investments you're committing to building a position regardless of market conditions. You're making investing a habit, not a hobby, with a predictable amount of money that's coming out of your bank account and going into your portfolio.

You stay focused on your goals, whether you want to reach a specific investment amount, or want to continually invest a percentage of your income.

And making one decision eliminates a series of smaller decisions, which some people call analysis paralysis.

Are there any downsides to automated investing?

Like any investing, the value of your investments can go up and down, and returns aren't guaranteed. Automated investing handles your contributions but it doesn't make sure your investments are still suitable for you and your needs.

And while it's easy to set and forget your investments, it's not a good idea to completely forget about them. Many investors choose to review and rebalance their portfolios periodically to make sure they're still meeting their needs.

If you're interested in setting up your investment portfolio to meet your personal needs, consider asking a licensed professional who knows your personal circumstances such as a financial advisor or accountant.

Automated investing comparison: Australia 2026

If you're looking for the best automated investing platforms in Australia, here's how the main options compare. (Features are based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Check each platform's website for the most current details.)

App	Offers round-ups	Offers other auto investing
Spaceship Voyager	Yes	Recurring investments (Investment Plans), Payday Boost, Uber Boost, Coffee Boost, Rainy Day Boost
Raiz	Yes	Recurring investments, cashback investing
Sharesies	Yes	Recurring investments
CommSec Pocket	No	Recurring investments
Pearler	Yes	Recurring investments

This comparison is general in nature and is not a recommendation of any particular platform.

What about AI investing?

Some investors use AI to invest. They might use AI agents, which is software that can make decisions on their behalf. They might connect their existing portfolio and let the AI make decisions for them. Others take investment guidance from AI tools such as ChatGPT.

We don't offer these tools at Spaceship. It's worth noting that AI tools like ChatGPT are not licensed to provide financial advice in Australia. Any information they provide should not be treated as personal financial advice.

How to set up round-up investing with Spaceship Voyager

Spaceship Voyager is an investment app available to Australian residents, with a range of automatic investing options built in. If you're already an investor, you can set up round-up investing directly in the app.

From the homescreen, tap Portfolio
Tap the portfolio you want to link your Boost or Round-Up to
Tap I want to, then Add a boost
Follow the prompts

Investing comes with risk, and returns aren't guaranteed. Before investing with Spaceship Voyager make sure you check out the portfolio information, risks, fees, TMD and PDS.

Set up Boosts

FAQs

What is round-up investing? Round-up investing is when your investment app automatically rounds up your card purchases to the nearest dollar and invests the difference into a portfolio of your choice.

What is automated investing? Automated investing is when you have a system for adding to your investment portfolio that runs on rules you set up, so you can largely set and forget it if you'd like. Common types include recurring investments, payday boosts, and round-up investing.

What round-up investing apps are available in Australia? There are a few round-up investing apps available in Australia, including Spaceship Voyager, Raiz, Sharesies, and Pearler. The best one for you depends on what you're looking for.

Can I set up automatic investments with Spaceship? Yes. At Spaceship you can set up Investment Plans to invest a recurring amount on a schedule, as well as a range of Boosts including Round Up, Payday, Category, and Rainy Day.

What is the difference between round-up investing and automated investing? Round-up investing is a type of automated investing. Automated investing is the broader category - any system that invests on your behalf based on rules you set. Round-up investing is one specific trigger within that.

Is there an app that invests my spare change in Australia? Yes. Apps like Spaceship Voyager, Raiz, Sharesies, and Pearler all offer round-up investing, which automatically invests your spare change when you pay with your card.

Round-up investing and automated investing in Australia: how they work

Round-up investing and automated investing are changing the way Australians invest.