Demat Account Charges and Fees

Indian stock exchanges have registered steady growth in the number of investors in the past few years. Considering that there is a rise in the number of new investors, various brokerage houses have entered the market, offering an array of services. It has created a wide disparity in the charges as they all try to gain a competitive advantage. 

Process of opening a Demat account to the various fees associated with it, types of stockbrokers, and how to choose the best broking house. After setting up a Demat Account, consider Demat Account charges. We can categorise these charges into operational charges (AMC, Tax, and more) and transactional charges or charges collected by the broker for carrying out the trades for clients.

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While several brokers, financial institutions, banks and broking firms offering a free Demat Account to their customers, certain charges are levied on the customer at a later stage or after some time depending on the various options provided. It is essential for you to know all about the Demat Account charges.

You can choose any broking firm, financial institution or bank who is an authorised DP with either NSDL or CDSL and is registered with SEBI. Each one of these companies comes with their brokerage demat account charges. 

The Demat Charges

A crucial piece of information to be considered is the demat charges. Here is a summary of these:

1. Demat Account Opening Fees : Nowadays, the Demat Account opening charges levied by the DPs are either nominal. Banks provide it completely free if you set up a 3-in-1 account with them, i.e. a savings bank account, a trading account and a Demat Account. However, most private broking firms like Angel One have no account opening fees and provide a seamless account opening experience for you via their online trading platform. Nevertheless, if any additional costs are involved, such as stamp duty, GST and other statutory levies by SEBI, they will be charged as applicable. Therefore, you must always compare the various DPs and their Demat Account opening charges and choose the best one.

Looking to open a Demat account. Read on here to learn about the process of opening a Demat account.

1. Demat Account Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) : Some firms charge a basic fee, whereas a few DPs even waive off the Annual Maintenance Charge for the first year and start the billing cycle from the second year onwards. Each depository has its specific guidelines for  Demat charges. For instance, Angel One does not charge any Annual Maintenance Charges for the first year. From the second year onwards, a monthly maintenance charge of ₹20 + taxes is levied. Angel One provides various value-added services such as online transfer of funds via net banking and UPI, Fundamental research, and artificial intelligence-based advisory ARQ Prime for technical and derivatives trading ideas so to name a few services. SEBI has revised the Basic Services Demat Account – BSDA, from 1st June 2019 with no annual maintenance charges for debt securities up to ₹50,000. Conversely, a maximum amount of ₹100 + taxes would be levied if the holding is from ₹50,000 up to ₹2 lakhs.
2. Demat Account Custodian Fees: DPs either charge a one-time fee, annually or unless specified. Most of the time, this fee is paid directly by the company to the depository, which is either NDSL or CDSL. The majority of the broking companies, like Angel One, waive off the custody fees.
3. Demat Account Transaction Fees: The transaction fee is also known as Demat Account brokerage charges, are charged for every transaction completed by the DP. Some DPs charge a percentage of the value of the transaction, while others charge a flat fee per transaction. Broking firms like Angel One charge a very minimal amount of zero brokerage on Equity Delivery Trading & ₹20/order Flat Brokerage for Intraday, F&O, Currencies & Commodity. Apart from the fees mentioned above, there are other Demat Account charges like credit charges, rejected instruction charges, various taxes and cess, delayed payment fees and so on. When you are in process of selecting a DP for your investor purpose, do make sure to have a look at all the charges that are levied to your Demat Account.

Full Service vs Discount Broker

While shopping for competitive brokerage demat account rates have you wondered how some brokers offer cheaper rates than others? There are two types of stockbrokers available in the market – full service brokers and discount brokers. You will find discount brokers offering lower rates. If you get attracted by lower rates, then you should know that both full service brokers and discount brokers suit different types of investors, and you must select a broker based on the services they offer.

Discount brokers act as functionaries, limiting their services in carrying out only buy and sell instructions as per the investor’s direction. Full service brokers provide market research reports, company fundamental reports, trading and advisory services on a wide range of investment products. Full service brokers, therefore, charge higher fees compared to discount brokers. Discount brokers charge about 60 percent less than full service brokers.

Since broking charges directly impact the profit amount from an investment, you need to compare all the alternatives available to you carefully. For example, a day trader, who makes 10 to 15 trades a day cost with a full service broker would be significantly high. Selecting a discount broker will help him lower the charges. Alternatively, if you are looking for a comprehensive investment solution – take advantage of research reports, technology-enabled trading advice, and seamless trading platform, a full service broker is an affordable choice. However, nowadays, to stay in the competition, several full service brokers have also lowered their charges. Many of them now charge like a flat fee on transactions, zero demat account opening charges, and more. So get the best of both worlds – compare the services you want, along with the charges to find the best match for your requirements.

Conclusion

Opening a Demat attracts several charges. It is imperative to learn the various charges applied to Demat trading because it will impact your earnings from the investment. New entrants in the market may charge less than established stockbrokers to win over investors. However, finding a trusted broker with a track record is more important than finding the cheapest one when it comes to stock market investment.

FAQs

How much does it cost to open a Demat account?

The cost of opening a Demat account varies across different DPs. To illustrate, banks may charge up to Rs. 900 unless you are opening a 3-in-1 account that links a trading account to the bank account, while brokers, such as Angel One open a Demat account for free.

Is Angel One AMC free?

Yes, for the first year Angel One’s annual maintenance charges (AMC) are non-chargeable or zero. However, a monthly AMC fee of Rs. 20 along with taxes will be deducted from the second year and beyond.

What is brokerage on demat account?

Brokerage on a Demat account basically refers to the transaction fee charged by the DP for all trades that get executed. It can either be a flat fee per transaction or a certain percentage of the final transaction value.

What is minimum brokerage charges for demat account?

The minimum brokerage charges for a Demat account differ as per the broker and the trade executed. Angel One charges no fee on equity delivery trades while an intraday trade attracts a nominal charge of Rs. 20 per order.

Is there any zero brokerage?

Yes, it is possible for trades to have zero brokerage fees. Usually, brokers, such as Angel One, have zero charges on equity delivery trades. However, nominal charges are applicable on other intraday, futures, and commodities trades.