How do I check my CHESS holdings?
A CHESS holding statement gives you a HIN and names your CHESS sponsoring broker. An issuer registry statement gives you an SRN for that issuer-sponsored holding. If you only have a trading-provider balance, ask the provider who is registered as holder and whether it uses custody before assuming the shares sit on your individual HIN.
Three checks to make first
- Find your HIN and sponsor. Check a CHESS welcome letter or holding statement. If it is missing, ask your sponsoring broker for the HIN.
- Match the security and statement date. Read the security code and balance on the statement. For a later transaction, check whether the next statement has been issued before comparing quantities.
- Choose the right record. Access electronic CHESS statements through the broker opt-in route. If the document has an SRN, use the issuer’s share registry; if the account uses custody, check the provider’s holding record.
A holding statement is a dated record, not a live portfolio screen. ASX issues a separate month-end statement for each security whose holding balance changed. An unchanged holding need not produce a new statement every month. ASX statement guidance ↗
CHESS stands for Clearing House Electronic Subregister System. ASX explains that an investor can have legal title recorded on the CHESS subregister or on an issuer-sponsored subregister. ASIC separately describes omnibus arrangements in which client shares are pooled under a custodian's HIN. The account screen alone does not settle which route applies. ASX holding fact sheet ↗ ASIC REP 778, pp. 13–14 ↗
Which document should you look for?
Use the document's issuer and identifier together. A number by itself is less useful than knowing who maintains that record. ASX says the same HIN can cover several CHESS holdings, while an issuer-sponsored holding has its own SRN. If you have multiple brokers or different account registrations, do not assume one number covers every holding. ASX fact sheet ↗
Issued through ASX's CHESS system. Look for your HIN and the line marked “CHESS SPONSOR”. A separate statement is produced for each security whose balance changed in the month.
Issued by the company's share registry. Look for an SRN. The registry is the first place to ask about that issuer-sponsored record.
A portfolio view, transaction confirmation or custody statement can show what the provider reports to you. Read its holding terms to establish whether a custodian is the registered holder.
Keep identifiers private. A HIN or SRN identifies holdings. Use the broker, registry or ASX channels you reach through their official sites; there is no reason to paste the number into an unfamiliar “holding checker”.
How do you find your HIN?
First check your CHESS welcome letter and any later CHESS holding statement. ASX says the Holder Identification Number (HIN) appears on both. If you cannot find either document but know your CHESS sponsoring broker, ask that broker to retrieve the HIN. A HIN is associated with the CHESS record and is separate from a website login or an ASX Investor Portal account. ASX HIN FAQ ↗
Search your records. Look for an ASX CHESS welcome letter, paper holding statement or electronic statement notification. Search by the broker name and “CHESS”, not only by the company ticker.
Ask the sponsor. If the statement is missing, contact the broker that sponsors your CHESS holdings. ASX directs investors there for a missing HIN.
If the sponsor is also unknown, trace the security. The relevant share registry may help identify the sponsoring participant. ASX's FAQ describes a further route using the sponsor's participant ID (PID) and ASX Investor Support when neither HIN nor broker is known. Follow ASX's process ↗
Do not assume that a CHESS account must produce a new paper statement every month. ASX produces a month-end holding statement for a security when its balance changed during that month. A quiet month can mean there is no new statement. ASX electronic statement guidance ↗
Who is your CHESS sponsor?
On a CHESS holding statement, the sponsor's name appears next to “CHESS SPONSOR”. This is the broker or sponsoring participant responsible for your CHESS account relationship. If you know the HIN but have lost the statement, ASX says the relevant share registry can also help identify the sponsor. If you know neither, start with the registry for a security you hold and follow ASX's process rather than guessing from an old app login. ASX sponsor FAQ ↗
To find a registry, search the company name or ASX code on the ASX company directory ↗, open the company page and look for “Share registry”. That is more reliable than assuming every company uses the same registry. If you hold several securities, their registries can differ even when they are linked to one HIN.
Contact the broker or registry through its official support channel. Have the company code, registered name and any existing statement ready; share sensitive identifiers only through a trusted channel.
How do I get a CHESS holding statement?
Paper statements: when to expect one
ASX says its system issues a month-end holding statement for each security with a balance change that month. A purchase, sale or other balance movement can therefore produce a statement; simply opening the app or viewing a price does not. ASX says a paper statement can arrive about two to three weeks after it is issued. If a transaction is recent, check the following month's statement cycle before treating the missing paper as proof of a different holding structure. ASX statement FAQ ↗
For example, after a buy or sell.
One for each security with a changed balance.
Paper generally arrives in the following two to three weeks; digital access needs broker opt-in.
Online statements: registration and login
Electronic statements are available through the ASX CHESS Statements Portal after your CHESS sponsoring broker opts you in. The portal is separate from the ASX Investor Portal. Ask your broker whether electronic delivery is active for your HIN and what email address it has registered. ASX's guide explains the initial registration and how to access statements there. ASX electronic delivery ↗ Portal user guide ↗
Your route into the statements portal
- Ask your broker to opt in your HIN. Confirm the email address and electronic-delivery preference it will send to ASX.
- Complete the ASX registration email. Existing holders receive it when their next statement or notification becomes available. New HINs receive it after broker opt-in.
- Sign in and locate the document. Once registered, use the official portal and its document filters. The screenshot below shows the document screen.
Open the official ASX CHESS Statements Portal ↗
Already opted in but no registration email? Check the email address with your sponsor. With multiple HINs, each needs broker opt-in and its own portal account; one email address can be used for more than one account. ASX registration FAQ ↗
Was there a balance change in the month? Was paper sent to an old postal address? Did the broker opt the HIN into digital delivery? If those do not explain it, ask your CHESS sponsor for a historical statement or the next official route. ASX directs historical statement requests to the sponsoring broker. ASX FAQ ↗
What if your document has an SRN?
An SRN (Securityholder Reference Number) points to an issuer-sponsored holding, not a HIN on your broker's CHESS account. ASX says each issuer-sponsored holding has its own SRN. The company's share registry administers the issuer subregister and issues the relevant holding statement. ASX fact sheet ↗
If you lost the SRN or statement, identify the issuer's registry using the ASX company directory ↗ and contact that registry. Give the company code and the registration details it needs to locate the holding. Do not expect another company's registry or a different broker to retrieve that SRN for you. ASX specifically directs SRN enquiries to the issuer's share registry. ASX SRN FAQ ↗
Having an SRN does not mean the shares are unowned or that a purchase failed. It means the registered record is on a different subregister. If your goal is to trade or consolidate the holding through a broker, ask the intended broker and registry for the conversion process before initiating anything.
What if you only see shares in an app?
A provider balance may be your easiest view of an investment, but it does not by itself identify the name on the share register. ASIC's review of online trading providers describes omnibus HIN arrangements in which client holdings are pooled under one HIN held by a custodian; the client has a different legal interest from a person directly registered on their own HIN. ASIC criticised explanations that focused on cost savings without making the structure and risks clear. ASIC REP 778, pp. 13–14 ↗
That does not mean every trading app uses custody. Nor does the absence of a CHESS statement alone prove it. Ask the provider about the specific ASX security and account you use. Its product disclosure and custody terms should say who holds the asset, what record you receive, how distributions and corporate actions are handled, and what happens when you transfer or close the account.
- For this ASX-listed security, am I the registered holder on an individual HIN, an issuer-sponsored SRN, or a beneficiary under a custodian?
- Which document confirms the arrangement after a purchase, and who issues it?
- If a custodian is registered, how can I view or confirm the underlying holding and exercise voting rights?
- Can the position move to another provider in specie, and what restrictions or fees apply?
Who starts a transfer?
For a CHESS-sponsored holding, ASX says to contact the new CHESS sponsoring broker. You may need to enter a sponsorship agreement and provide signed instructions. ASX says the registration details on the new account must match the current HIN record for a sponsor change. Your new broker is best placed to explain the process and expected time for your case. ASX transfer FAQ ↗
For an issuer-sponsored holding, speak with the intended broker and issuer registry about moving it onto CHESS. For a custodial account, the transfer depends on both providers' rules and the security. Do not assume an in-specie transfer is available or that a sale and repurchase is equivalent. Fees, timing and tax consequences depend on the actual arrangement; obtain the specific terms before choosing a route.
Questions the documents usually settle.
“I bought shares but no statement has arrived.”
Check the transaction date and the following month's statement cycle. If a balance changed and enough time has passed, ask your broker about paper delivery, digital opt-in and whether the holding is on your HIN. ASX timing FAQ ↗
“My broker app shows the shares. Is that proof of CHESS sponsorship?”
No. It shows the provider's account view. A CHESS statement and HIN provide a clearer route to the CHESS record. If those are absent, ask the provider how legal title is registered. ASX registration choices ↗ ASIC custody review ↗
“Can one HIN contain several companies?”
Yes. ASX says one HIN can identify several holdings under the same CHESS sponsorship. Statements are still issued separately for securities with balance changes. An issuer-sponsored SRN is different: it belongs to that issuer holding. ASX fact sheet ↗
“Is the ASX Investor Portal where I find CHESS statements?”
No. ASX says its CHESS Statements Portal is a separate login and requires broker opt-in for electronic delivery. Ask your sponsor which delivery method is active. ASX portal guidance ↗
Check the record at its source.
Statement access, HIN retrieval and sponsor instructions rechecked 18 October 2026 against the ASX investor FAQ and electronic-delivery guidance. The holding-structure discussion and source illustrations were checked against ASX and ASIC materials on 29 September 2026. Recheck if ASX changes CHESS statement delivery or transfer guidance, ASIC updates its custody guidance, or a provider changes its terms. Broker-specific custody, transfer and account rules need the relevant provider's current documents.