How-to add funds Zerodha Kite fund transfer UPI

How to add funds to Zerodha: accepted and not-accepted methods

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated . Reading time ~11 min. Level: Beginner.

Adding funds to a Zerodha trading account works through a fixed set of methods, and a separate set of methods will not work at all. The accepted methods are UPI and netbanking through the Add Funds interface on Kite , a bank-side push by IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS to your beneficiary account, and a cheque. Cash, a demand draft, a digital wallet, a transfer started directly inside a UPI app, and a transfer from a bank account not linked to your Zerodha account will each fail or be refunded. This guide sets out both lists, with the rule behind each one, so you fund the account the first time without a stuck or refunded transfer.

The guide is method-agnostic. For the screen-by-screen flow of a single rail, follow the dedicated guides on UPI , netbanking , and IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS , each of which this guide links at the relevant step.

Conflict-of-interest disclosure. This guide is published by the WebNotes Editorial Team for informational purposes and is written independently. WebNotes operates a Zerodha account-opening referral programme, disclosed on the pages that carry the referral link; this guide does not carry it and earns no referral commission from the procedure described here.

Step-by-step procedure

The procedure infobox near the top of this page lists the six steps in order. Each step is expanded below with the choices and the error each one can throw.

1. Log in to Kite

Open kite.zerodha.com in a browser or launch the Kite mobile app. Enter your Zerodha client ID and password, then complete the two-factor step with the TOTP from your authenticator app or the SMS OTP. You add funds from inside Kite; there is no separate funds website.

2. Open Add funds

On Kite web, click the account icon at the top right and select Add funds. On the Kite mobile app, tap the profile icon and then Add funds. The fund-addition screen opens with an amount field and the available payment methods.

3. Enter the amount

Type the deposit in whole rupees, without paise. The amount must be more than Rs 1; Zerodha processes only amounts greater than Rs 1, so a Re 1 deposit will not update. There is no upper limit on the total you can hold, but each rail carries its own per-transaction ceiling, covered under limits below.

4. Choose an accepted method

The on-screen gateway options are UPI and netbanking. UPI is free; netbanking carries a flat Rs 10.62 charge, set out in Zerodha payment gateway fees . If you would rather push money from your bank, note your virtual beneficiary account details from the IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS section and skip the on-screen gateway. The trade-off is speed against cost, and on cost UPI wins because it is free and instant.

5. Authorise the transfer

For UPI, Zerodha sends a collect request to your UPI handle; open your UPI app, approve the request, and enter your UPI PIN. For netbanking, you are taken to your bank’s login page to confirm the debit. For IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS, add the Zerodha virtual beneficiary account in your bank, then send the amount; nothing happens inside Kite for this rail until the money lands.

6. Verify the credit

Return to Kite and check the available margin in the top bar. For a full audit trail, log in to Zerodha Console , open Reports, and select Ledger, where the deposit appears as a fund-credit line. If the credit has not appeared in the expected window, the guide on how to reconcile a missing fund credit on Zerodha covers the usual causes.

The accepted methods

Zerodha documents four ways to fund the account, and three of the four are free.

UPI is the fastest and cheapest. It runs through the Add Funds interface on Kite as a collect request you approve in your UPI app, credits within minutes, and carries no charge. UPI allows up to Rs 5,00,000 per transfer and up to 35 transfers per day, and your bank may set a lower limit on its handle. The full flow is in the guide on how to add funds to Zerodha via UPI .

Netbanking through Kite is the one charged method: Rs 9 plus 18% GST, a flat Rs 10.62 regardless of amount. It logs you into your bank’s netbanking session, confirms the debit, and credits instantly on success. The step-by-step is in the guide on how to add funds to Zerodha via netbanking .

IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS are bank-side pushes to a client-specific virtual beneficiary account that Zerodha provides on HDFC Bank, IFSC HDFC0000240. They are free at Zerodha, though your own bank may charge on its side. IMPS reflects within 10 minutes, NEFT and RTGS within 2 hours. The guide on how to add funds to Zerodha via NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS covers adding the beneficiary, and the beneficiary-account model is explained in Zerodha funds transfer .

Cheque is accepted and free. A cheque clears on the normal banking cycle rather than instantly, so it is the slowest route, but it carries no Zerodha charge. It is the only paper instrument Zerodha takes; cash and demand drafts are not accepted, for the reason below.

The methods that will not work

Five funding attempts fail at Zerodha, each for a documented reason. Treating any of them as a shortcut wastes a transfer and, in the unlinked-bank and direct-UPI cases, triggers a refund cycle.

Cash and demand draft. SEBI rules do not allow Zerodha or any other broker to accept deposits by cash or demand draft. Zerodha states this directly on its add-money page. There is no workaround; the bar is regulatory, not a Zerodha preference. Deposit a cheque instead if you want a non-electronic route.

Digital wallets. A digital wallet transfer will not be accepted. Wallet balances do not satisfy the rule that money must come from a bank account linked to your Zerodha account, so a wallet top-up cannot fund the trading account.

A transfer started directly in a UPI app. Zerodha accepts UPI transfers made only through the Add Funds interface on Kite. A UPI transfer initiated directly in your UPI app, pushed to a Zerodha virtual payment address outside the Kite collect-request flow, will not be accepted and has to be refunded. Always start a UPI deposit from inside Kite so it arrives as a collect request you approve.

A transfer from an unlinked bank account. You can transfer only from a bank account linked to your Zerodha account. Money sent by IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, or cheque from a bank account that is not linked is refunded to the source account within 24 to 48 hours. To add a second funding bank first, see how to add a secondary bank account on Zerodha .

Debit and credit cards. Zerodha’s Add Funds interface lists UPI and netbanking as the on-screen gateway options, alongside IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, and cheque. Cards are not among the documented add-funds methods, so plan to fund by UPI or one of the other accepted rails rather than a card.

Why funds must come from a linked bank

The linked-bank rule is the thread running through every failed method above. A broker has to know the money it credits to your trading account came from you, which is why Zerodha maps deposits to a bank account already verified against your Zerodha profile. A wallet, a card, or an unlinked account breaks that mapping, so the transfer is rejected or refunded.

For IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS this maps to a client-specific virtual beneficiary account: the money you push from your linked bank lands in an account tagged to your client ID, then credits your trading ledger. The model, including the case where a bank rejects an alphabetic beneficiary account number, is set out in Zerodha funds transfer . If your linked bank details change, update them before funding; see how to change your bank IFSC on Zerodha .

Limits and timing

UPI allows up to Rs 5,00,000 per transfer and up to 35 transfers a day, with individual banks free to set a lower limit. IMPS and NEFT have no regulatory minimum; RTGS is for transfers of Rs 2 lakh and above, the floor the Reserve Bank of India sets for that rail. Across every method the minimum that Zerodha will process is more than Rs 1.

Credit timing depends on the rail. UPI and netbanking reflect within minutes. IMPS reflects within 10 minutes, NEFT and RTGS within 2 hours. Transfers made between 12 AM and 7:30 AM do not reflect until after 7:30 AM, a window worth remembering for late-night top-ups before a market open. The cost of each method is set out in Zerodha payment gateway fees .

After the funds are credited

A credited deposit shows up as available margin in Kite and as a fund-credit line in the Zerodha Console ledger. The margin is then available for trading within the usual settlement rules: cash is usable for intraday and for placing delivery orders straight away, while the funds settle into the account on the pay-in cycle. The mechanics of how added money becomes usable margin are covered in pay-in of funds explained on Kite .

Money you add and do not use does not disappear, but it is governed by Zerodha’s running-account settlement obligations. Under Zerodha’s idle funds policy , unused balances may be settled back to your registered bank on the periodic running-account cycle, so a large idle balance can be returned to the bank rather than held indefinitely. When you want the money back on demand, the route is the reverse of this guide; see how to withdraw funds from Zerodha and, for same-day credit, how to schedule an instant withdrawal from Zerodha .

Confirming which bank is linked

Because every accepted method depends on the source being a linked bank, it pays to confirm which bank is linked before a large transfer. The linked bank is the one Zerodha verified at account opening, usually through a penny-drop check that deposits a token amount to confirm the account is yours; the process is described in Zerodha penny-drop refund . If you ever need to prove your bank details to Zerodha, the Zerodha bank proof email route documents the accepted evidence.

If the linked bank has changed branch, IFSC, or MICR, update the record before funding so an IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS push does not land on stale details; see how to change your bank IFSC on Zerodha . To fund from a second bank, add it first through how to add a secondary bank account on Zerodha , since a push from any account Zerodha has not linked is refunded within 24 to 48 hours.

Keeping the deposit clean

Two safeguards prevent the common funding mistakes. First, start every UPI deposit from inside Kite, never from your UPI app, so it arrives as a collect request. Second, fund only from a bank account linked to your Zerodha account, so the transfer is not refunded. Zerodha will not send you an unsolicited collect request or ask you to push money to a personal account; the guide on does Zerodha solicit fund transfers covers that scam pattern.

See also

External references

References

  1. Zerodha Support, “How do I add money to my Zerodha account,” support.zerodha.com, observed June 2026, accepted methods and the cash and demand-draft bar.
  2. Zerodha Support, “How do I add money to my trading account using IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS,” support.zerodha.com, observed June 2026, beneficiary account and credit timings.
  3. Zerodha Support, “Can I transfer funds from bank accounts that are not linked to my Zerodha account,” support.zerodha.com, observed June 2026, unlinked-bank refund within 24 to 48 hours.
  4. Zerodha, “Charges,” zerodha.com/charges, observed June 2026, payment gateway fee on netbanking.
  5. Securities and Exchange Board of India , broker rules barring acceptance of client deposits by cash or demand draft.

Related articles

Frequently asked questions

What are the accepted ways to add funds to Zerodha?
Zerodha accepts UPI and netbanking through the Add Funds interface on Kite, IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS pushed to your beneficiary account, and cheque. Every method is free except netbanking, which costs a flat Rs 10.62.
Can I deposit cash or a demand draft into Zerodha?
No. SEBI rules do not allow a broker to accept deposits by cash or demand draft. Zerodha states this on its add-money page. Fund the account by UPI, netbanking, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, or cheque instead.
Can I add money to Zerodha straight from a UPI app?
No. Zerodha accepts UPI transfers made only through the Add Funds interface on Kite. A transfer started directly in a UPI app, or a digital wallet transfer, will not be accepted and has to be refunded.
Can I add funds from a bank account not linked to Zerodha?
No. You can transfer only from a bank account linked to your Zerodha account. Money sent by IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, or cheque from an unlinked account is refunded to the source account within 24 to 48 hours.
Does it cost anything to add funds to Zerodha?
UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, and cheque are free at Zerodha. Netbanking attracts a payment gateway charge of Rs 9 plus 18% GST, a flat Rs 10.62 regardless of the amount. Your own bank may charge on IMPS, NEFT, or RTGS.
How long does a Zerodha deposit take to reflect?
UPI and netbanking reflect within minutes. IMPS reflects within 10 minutes and NEFT or RTGS within 2 hours. Transfers made between 12 AM and 7:30 AM reflect only after 7:30 AM.

Reviewed and published by

WebNotes Editorial Team

The WebNotes Editorial Team covers Indian capital markets, payments infrastructure and retail investor procedures. Every article is fact-checked against primary sources, principally SEBI circulars and master directions, NPCI specifications and the official support documentation published by the intermediary in question. Drafts go through a second-pair-of-eyes review and a separate compliance read before publication, and revisions are tracked against the SEBI and NPCI rule changes referenced in the methodology section.

Last reviewed
Conflicts of interest
WebNotes is independent. No relationship with any broker, registrar or bank named in this article.