Charles Schwab Rolls Out thinkorswim Guest Pass: A 30-Day Free Trial for Aspiring Traders

Charles Schwab has unveiled the thinkorswim Guest Pass, a game-changing initiative designed to lower the barrier for prospective traders wanting to test-drive the platform’s capabilities without committing to an account. The offering grants 30 days of unrestricted access to the full thinkorswim trading ecosystem—including web, desktop, and mobile versions—within a risk-free simulated environment powered by paperMoney.

Risk-Free Trading Experience with $100,000 in Virtual Capital

The Guest Pass program removes a significant hurdle for traders exploring whether thinkorswim suits their needs. New users receive $100,000 in simulated buying power to experiment across multiple account types: standard taxable accounts, IRAs, and portfolio margin accounts. This virtual capital allows traders to test strategies, explore asset classes like futures and forex, and familiarize themselves with the platform’s analytical tools—all without risking real money.

“We believe the thinkorswim platforms represent a world-class trading experience,” explained James Kostulias, Managing Director of Trading Services at Charles Schwab. “Guest Pass removes friction by giving potential clients the chance to experience what we offer in a completely risk-free environment. This aligns with our commitment to innovation following the merger of Schwab and TD Ameritrade capabilities.”

Expanded Features Across Schwab’s Trading Platforms

Beyond Guest Pass, Charles Schwab has announced a fresh wave of improvements to its Schwab.com and Schwab Mobile platforms. These updates stem directly from trader feedback and focus on three core areas: deeper customization, improved usability, and real-time streaming data.

Customization Enhancements: Traders using Schwab.com can now personalize their Options Chain displays by selecting specific columns, including Greeks calculations. Watchlist functionality has been expanded with custom defaults on Schwab.com, letting users designate their preferred watchlist as the landing page. Schwab Mobile users enjoy similar flexibility, with the ability to configure watchlist sorting, add custom flow columns, and set watchlists as their start screen for quicker access.

Usability Improvements: Trade ticket enhancements simplify order placement on both platforms. New default trade settings, one-click quantity and price adjustments, and integrated options chains streamline the execution process. The Order Status page now includes filtering by activity date on both Schwab.com and Schwab Mobile, with symbol-based filtering available on mobile. SnapTicket now supports multi-leg options strategies, and a new Buy/Sell feature embedded in research pages enables direct trading without leaving the research view. Stock charts now include visual indicators for pre- and post-market trading sessions.

Real-Time Data Streaming: Both platforms now deliver streaming quotes across critical pages—Positions, Order Status, Watchlists, Trade Tickets, and Options Chain on Schwab.com, with Research added on Schwab Mobile. Users can customize limit price streaming preferences, and Schwab Mobile users gained access to four additional stock research reports.

Katie Ryan, Managing Director of Digital Trading and Research, emphasized the strategic vision: “These improvements reflect our ability to integrate the best capabilities from both Schwab and TD Ameritrade. Traders can expect continuous refinement based on ongoing feedback.”

Existing Clients Get Similar Benefits

Current Schwab clients already have access to the paperMoney simulated trading environment through their accounts, offering comparable functionality to Guest Pass. This ensures both prospective and existing traders can validate strategies in a consequence-free setting before deploying capital.

For more details about the thinkorswim Guest Pass program, visit www.schwab.com/guestpass. Information about Schwab’s broader trading offerings is available at www.schwab.com/trading.

Important Disclosures: Virtual trading performance does not guarantee real-world investment success, as market conditions are dynamic. Futures and forex trading carry substantial risk and may not suit all investors. Futures accounts lack SIPC protection. Trading privileges require review and approval. TD Ameritrade, Inc. is a FINRA/SIPC member and subsidiary of Charles Schwab Corporation. Futures services are provided by Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC.