Demat Account Charges Explained (Every Fee, in Plain English)

Updated 2026-06-01

The headline “₹20 per trade” is only part of what you actually pay to invest in India. Here’s every charge on a demat and trading account, explained in plain English, so nothing surprises you on your contract note.

One-time and recurring account fees

• Account opening charge — a one-time fee to set up the account. Often ₹0 today; some brokers charge up to ~₹200.
• Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC) — a yearly fee to keep your demat account active, from ₹0 to about ₹300. Some brokers waive the first year.

Charges when you trade

• Brokerage — the broker’s fee per order. Discount brokers typically charge a flat ₹20 per executed order (or a small percentage, whichever is lower). Equity delivery is free with several brokers.
• DP (Depository Participant) charges — a small flat fee (often ₹13–20 plus GST) charged when you sell shares from your demat, regardless of quantity. Easy to miss.

Statutory charges (the same at every broker)

These are set by the government and exchanges, so they don’t vary between brokers:

• STT (Securities Transaction Tax) — a tax on transactions; higher on selling delivery and on F&O.
• Exchange transaction charges — a tiny percentage levied by NSE/BSE.
• GST — 18% on brokerage plus transaction and SEBI charges.
• SEBI turnover fee and stamp duty — very small amounts on each trade.

Because statutory charges are identical everywhere, the real difference between brokers is brokerage + AMC + account opening + DP charges. That’s what our comparisons focus on.

An example

Buy ₹50,000 of shares to hold at a broker with free delivery: brokerage is ₹0, and you pay only the tiny statutory charges. Sell them later and you’ll also see a DP charge plus STT. At a broker charging ₹20 delivery, add ₹20 on the buy and ₹20 on the sell. Small per trade — but multiplied across many trades a year, it adds up.

How to keep costs low

• Choose free equity delivery if you’re a long-term investor.
• Choose ₹0 AMC to avoid a recurring drag.
• For active trading, flat ₹20 per order beats percentage-based brokerage on large trades.
• Always read the broker’s official, full pricing page — not just the headline number.

Ready to compare real numbers? See Top 10 Demat & Investing Apps in India, ranked on exactly these charges.

Information only, not financial advice. Statutory rates and broker charges change — confirm current figures before you trade.