TradeStation charges a $25(US) fee for each DRS transfer. This means each time you want to direct register shares of a specific stock (no matter how many shares) you are charged $25.
TradeStation also requires you to have an existing Computershare account. You can open one by buying a share through Give A Share, or a popular route has been through Interactive Brokers (IBKR). They can DRS quickly and for only $5 (link to guide here).
Therefore, they will ask you for a Computershare account number. For security reasons it is not recommended to give this information to your broker, but in this case there may not be another choice. With Computershare accounts, the account number is the "key" that allows brokers to authorize a transfer of shares out of the DRS and back to the broker.
If you provide your account number to initiate the transfer, it is recommended to protect your Computershare account by making a small change to your name or address to block any unauthorized attempts at withdrawing your direct registered shares. Such as adding or removing a middle initial, or making a subtle enough change to your address that you can still receive your snail mail (add or remove a borough, or a space in your postal/zip code).
Only do this when you are confident you are finished transferring your shares from your broker to the DRS, and if you are confident you do not want to move your shares back to your broker.
How To Transfer:
Once your shares and $25 are settled in TradeStation, you can make a Letter of Instruction and fill in their "DTC Transfer Out Form" and send both to them in an email. The form can be found here.
How to fill in the form:
For "Date of Request" and "Time of Request" enter today's date and the time you are submitting the form.
For "TradeStation Account Title" write in your full name.
For "TradeStation Account number" write in your account number.
Then you need to enter the shares in the batches you purchased them. If you have more than 3 batches of shares, you will need to fill out more forms.
Number of shares purchased
The ticker: GME
Its CUSIP: 36467W109
The cost per share of that trade
The date of the trade
Then they ask for the receiving firm information in GameStop's case that is:
"Firm Name" is: Computershare US
"Firm Address" is: Computershare Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 505005, Louisville, KY 40233-5005.
"Firm Clearing ID Number" is: 2415
"DTC Number" is: 7807.
"For Further Credit To" is where you specify your account number at a receiving firm. So the transfer goes to you, not the firm. So include your full name again.
For "Account Title" write in your full name just as you did before
"Account Number" is only if you have an existing Computershare account. You should try to leave it blank, but Tradestation may demand it. Please note, the account number is considered the key to your account. For security reasons, we do not recommend you give your broker the key to your Computershare account.
Then sign at the bottom of the page with wet ink. (there are two signature lines in case you have a joint account)
Scan or take a picture of the form.
How to make the Letter of Instruction:
The Letter of Instruction can be handwritten or typed, but it must be signed with wet ink. You can write it informally, or use the following templates: GameStop specific template, blank template for any stock.
Writing it yourself?
Be sure to include:
Say: “I want an outbound DRS transfer of my GME shares to Computershare”.
Your Tradestation account number, full name, home address and SSN/Tax ID.
The stock (GameStop), its ticker (GME), and its CUSIP (36467W109).
How many shares you want to transfer.
The Transfer Agent's name, DTC number, and address. In GameStop's case that's: Computershare US. DTC# 7807. Computershare Trust Company, N.A., P.O. Box 505005, Louisville, KY 40233-5005.
A statement agreeing to the fees. e.g. "I agree to the $25 fee associated with this transfer".
Optional: If you want the shares ordered in Last In First Out (newest shares transferred first), or First In First Out (oldest shares transferred first).
Sign the letter with a pen and scan it in, or take a picture of it.
The email:
With your Letter of Instruction and DTC Transfer Out Form complete, write an email to: ClientServices@TradeStation.com.
For the subject line write: “Outbound DRS Transfer Request (TradeStation account number)”.
For the email write: “I would like an outbound DRS transfer as detailed in the attached DTC Transfer Out Form”.
Attach the Letter of Instruction, and the DTC Transfer Out Form.
Click on "Send".
The transfer will take 5-10 business days to process. If you're feeling uncertain you can check in with TradeStation by contacting them online.
If you don't have an existing Computershare account:
Your broker and Computershare will take care of the transfer and open a Computershare account for you. This will take another 2-3 business days.
If you have an existing Computershare account:
Your broker will DRS transfer the shares based on your name and address. As a result, a second account may be created for you. This can be for a few reasons, such as a middle initial existing on one account, but not the other. If your name and address match exactly, then the transfer will process within the normal amount of time. If not, then it will take another 2-4 weeks for the account to be made and the DRS Account Statement sent out to you.
Your broker may ask you for a Computershare account number. For security reasons we do not recommend giving this information to your broker. With Computershare accounts, the account number is the "key" that allows brokers to authorize a transfer of shares out of the DRS and back to the broker.
Tradestation may ask for a statement to prove the existance of your account. You can save a copy of a DRS Advice Report from Computershare. To get a DRS Advice Report:
Go to Computershare.com/us.
Click on “Login to Investor Center”.
Login using the username, and password you have created.
Click on "Documents" on the top menu.
Select GameStop Corp.
Make sure it says “DRS Advice” under the “Type” column and click on the “View PDF” button.
Right click on the document and click “Save Page As” and make sure it saves as a PDF file.
Alternatively you can click on the print icon in the top right of the page, and from the printer drop down menu select “Save to PDF”.
Then click “Save”.
After your shares leave your broker:
If you are a US citizen, you can access your Computershare account immediately by registering with your SSN, and verifying your identity with questions from LexisNexis.
If you are a non-US citizen you will need to wait for the first Computershare letter to arrive.
This letter is the DRS Account Statement.
It will take another 2-6 weeks after your shares have left your broker.
If you don't want to wait around 4 weeks, you have a couple of options:
If you have transferred less than 10 shares, Computershare can give you your account number over the phone. Skipping the need for the first letter.
You can expedite the letter for $45 by giving payment details to Computershare over the phone. The letter will arrive within a week.
Computershare's non-US GME contact number is +800-3823-3823. This is a free number that can only be called from landlines in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the UK.
Please note: The number is only available between 08:00 and 14:00 (GMT). Otherwise you will be put through to Computershare headquarters in the USA without notice.
Otherwise, the US toll-free number is: +1 800-522-6645 and the US toll number is: +1 (201) 680 6578 (taxes may apply). If you're outside the US, you can get a free trial month of Skype to call these numbers.
If you don't hear any relevant options with the automated menu, you can keep pressing 0 to get through to a human.
If you are asked to verify your address and live outside of the US, you will have to use an ISO code instead of your country. For example, London in the UK is GB-LDN and Barcelona in Spain is ES-B. You can find your country's ISO codes through this wikipedia page.
When you have the DRS Account Statement:
Go to Computershare.com/us.
Click on “Login to Investor Center”.
Click on “Register Now”.
Make sure to select the “Holder Account Number” tab, instead of “Social Security Number”.
Select “I am not a U.S. Resident”.
Provide the Computershare account number that is on your DRS Account Statement (starts with “C”).
Provide your last name, surname, or business name.
Enter the name of the stock that you hold (GameStop).
Computershare will then prompt you to create your username, password and security questions.
Once your account is created, Computershare will send you a verification letter in the mail. This will arrive in 1 to 3 weeks.
If you'd like it sooner you can:
Call Computershare and pay a $30 fee to get the verification code via email within 48 hours.
Europeans can request the letter be sent from Computershare's UK office instead.
Computershare's non-US GME contact number is +800-3823-3823. This is a free number that can only be called from landlines in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the UK.
Please note: The number is only available between 08:00 and 14:00 (GMT). Otherwise you will be put through to Computershare headquarters in the USA without notice.
Otherwise, the US toll-free number is: +1 800-522-6645 and the US toll number is: +1 (201) 680 6578 (taxes may apply). If you're outside the US, you can get a free trial month of Skype to call these numbers.
If you don't hear any relevant options with the automated menu, you can keep pressing 0 to get through to a human.
If you are asked to verify your address and live outside of the US, you will have to use an ISO code instead of your country. For example, London in the UK is GB-LDN and Barcelona in Spain is ES-B. You can find your country's ISO codes through this Wikipedia page.
When you receive the verification code letter:
Return to Computershare.com/us.
Click on “Login to Investor Center”.
Login using the username, and password you have created.
Then you can enter the verification code.
You now have full access to your Computershare account!
There is no more need for the verification code.
We recommend you now activate your two-step verification (2FA) to improve your account security. You can set this up by going to: "My Profile", then "Account Security Preferences".
W-8 BEN Tax Form:
At this stage it is important to verify your tax status as a non-US citizen. While logged into your account, go to the My Profile tab, then “Tax Details”. A guide on how to fill in the W-8 BEN form is linked here).
You must fill in the W-8 BEN form before you buy any shares through Computershare, or add your banking information (especially if it's a US dollar account). Otherwise you will be assumed to be a US citizen.