Smart Pension says it won't charge you to transfer a pot out, but the scheme you move to might, and your membership of the scheme has to end before the money can move.
Moving a pot away from Smart Pension is one decision with several checks behind it: what Smart does and does not charge, how long it takes, and whether the receiving scheme is sound. Free, impartial guidance comes from Pension Wise and MoneyHelper. Questions about a particular Smart pot suit an FCA-authorised adviser, free to reach via the form on this page.
How do you transfer out of Smart Pension?
Smart's help centre has an article for members thinking of leaving, last updated on 3 September 2026. It sets out six points, and two of them are mechanical. The first: "You need to cease membership in the scheme before you can transfer your pension savings out of Smart Pension." Smart files this under the heading "Your contributions", so if you or an employer still pay in, ask Smart's support team what ending your membership involves. The second, under "Schemes outside the UK", is about money coming in: Smart can only receive transfers from registered UK pension plans and schemes, and it "does not currently offer" transfers in from a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme (QROPS).
The same article tells members to read Smart's transfer out form to see what to check first, and to contact its support team if unsure. A separate Smart article on leaving a job lists transferring "to another scheme, for example, your new employer's scheme" as one of three choices, beside leaving the pot where it is and combining pensions.
Smart's article on leaving a job says someone under 55 can leave the pot with Smart, and someone aged 55 or over can also start taking the savings. Where a new employer's scheme is the destination, moving a pension to a new employer covers that route, and how to transfer a pension walks through the general steps.
Does Smart Pension charge to transfer out?
Smart's answer is no: "We won’t charge you for transferring your pension out of Smart Pension, but other providers may do so." The charge to watch for is therefore on the receiving side, and in what you give up. Pension transfer fees explains where exit and set-up costs can arise.
Smart's ordinary running costs carry on until the money leaves. Its charges page says a small monthly fee may apply, and the amounts are on Smart Pension fees. Smart's transfer guide warns that a pension "may be out of the market for a short period while the transfer is completed" and that values could rise or fall during the process, so the sum that arrives can differ from the figure you saw when you asked.
How long will moving a Smart Pension pot out take?
Smart's published timescale, on its transfer page, is for money coming in: most transfers are "completed within a few weeks", and some providers ask for extra information, which can stretch it. For the general picture, MoneyHelper's figure is two to six weeks as a common timescale, with up to six months allowed for the provider to act. Under section 99 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 the six months runs from the date of your application.
Checks on the destination, covered further down, can add a step. How long a pension transfer takes goes into amber flags and what you can do about a stalled request.
Small pots, part transfers and in-specie moves
Smart's charges page says "If the combined value of your pension savings is £100 or less, we will not charge you a monthly fee." Beyond that, a flat monthly fee takes a larger slice of a modest pot; whether combining small pots is worth it sets out the trade-offs, including the exceptions where a small pot carries valuable guarantees. Smart asks leavers to understand any benefits, guarantees or features they may lose, since another provider's can differ. Its transfer guide, aimed at older pensions moving in, names protected tax-free cash, a protected pension age and guaranteed annuity rates, and says such guarantees "will usually be lost on transfer": a checklist for any other pot you plan to combine.
Whether a Smart pot can be moved in part, or sent across without selling the investments, depends on what Smart and the receiving scheme allow; the adviser who rings back after you send the form here can explain how that tends to work. For the principles, see in specie transfers and taking your tax-free cash then transferring the rest.
Some people with a tiny pot weigh up taking it as cash instead. GOV.UK's small pot rule lets you usually cash in a pension of up to £10,000 as a single lump sum, and where nothing has been drawn from that pension before, 25% of the lump sum is tax-free. GOV.UK says the earliest age for taking a pension is usually 55, and the FCA notes it rises to 57 from 2028.
Checking the scheme you are moving to
Smart's six points include warnings that the new provider "may appear legitimate on the surface" and that some providers offer short-term rewards for moving. It points members to The Pensions Regulator's list of authorised master trusts, the FCA's scams page and the FCA Firm Checker, to confirm a firm is authorised for what it is offering. The FCA's pension scams page (last updated 19 January 2026) tells you to hang up on an unexpected phone call about your pension, which it describes as illegal and probably a scam; pension scams covers other warning signs.
The checks are not only yours. Under the Conditions for Transfers Regulations 2021, a scheme that decides an amber flag is present must require the member to take MoneyHelper's pension transfer scams guidance, such as "unclear or high fees being charged by the receiving scheme" or overseas investments. The Pensions Regulator tells schemes that this appointment must be booked and attended by the member, not anyone acting on their behalf. The rules on transfers list the red flags too.
Before you pick a destination, set its charges, funds and withdrawal options beside those of your current pot. Moving into a SIPP and choosing where to transfer look at that side in detail. If a pot you are combining holds guarantees, or you are unsure what you have, an FCA-authorised adviser rings you to cover your pots and tax once the form here goes in. Values can fall as well as rise.
Smart Pension transfer questions
Can I transfer my Smart Pension to a SIPP?
Smart says you can transfer to another scheme, and the example it gives is a new employer's scheme. Whether a particular SIPP will accept the money is for that provider to confirm before you ask Smart to send it.
Is there a fee to move my pot away from Smart?
Smart says it will not charge you to transfer out. The scheme receiving the money may have its own costs, so ask for them in writing.
Can I transfer a pension into Smart Pension instead?
Yes, Smart says it accepts most transfer types and does not charge for transfers in. It does not currently accept transfers in from overseas or from pensions already crystallised, and Smart's guide adds that safeguarded benefits worth more than £30,000 normally need regulated advice before a transfer can proceed.
Can a transfer be undone?
Smart's guidance says it is unlikely a previous provider will restore your original pension once the transfer has completed, so settle your questions beforehand.