How to add a secondary bank account on Zerodha
Zerodha permits resident Indian clients to link up to three bank accounts to a single trading account: one primary account and up to two secondary accounts. Secondary bank accounts can be used to add funds via NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS. Withdrawals, however, are always routed to the primary bank account. This guide walks through the complete procedure for adding a secondary bank account via Zerodha Console, the penny-drop verification process, and how the secondary account can be used once activated.
Conflict-of-interest disclosure. WebNotes Editorial Team publishes this guide for informational purposes. WebNotes has no commercial relationship with Zerodha and earns no commission from account-management actions.
Prerequisites
Before following this guide, confirm that:
- You hold an active Zerodha trading account in good standing.
- The bank account you wish to add is held in your own name. Joint accounts are not accepted unless you are the first holder and the joint account holder’s name matches your KYC records.
- The bank account is a savings or current account with a bank that is a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s NEFT/RTGS/IMPS network. All scheduled commercial banks in India qualify.
- You have the account number and the branch IFSC code available. The IFSC can be found on a cheque leaf, the bank’s passbook, or the bank’s website.
- You have not already linked three bank accounts. If you have reached the three-account limit, you must remove an existing secondary account before adding a new one. See How to remove a bank account on Zerodha.
Step-by-step procedure
Step 1: Log in to Zerodha Console
Open console.zerodha.com in a browser. Enter your Zerodha client ID and password. Complete two-factor authentication using your TOTP or the SMS OTP sent to your registered mobile number. Console is the account-management portal for Zerodha; bank-account changes cannot be made from Kite.
Step 2: Navigate to Account > Bank accounts
After logging in, locate the top navigation bar. Click Account. In the dropdown, select Bank accounts. The Bank accounts page lists your currently linked accounts, showing the bank name, last four digits of the account number, account type, and status (Primary or Secondary).
Step 3: Click Add bank account
On the Bank accounts page, click Add bank account. A form appears with fields for the new account’s details. If the button is greyed out, you have already reached the three-account limit or your account is under a temporary restriction.
Step 4: Enter the bank account details
Fill in the following fields:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Account number | Full bank account number (10–18 digits for most Indian banks) |
| Re-enter account number | Same number again; prevents typographic errors |
| IFSC code | 11-character alphanumeric code identifying the branch |
| Account type | Savings or Current; select the type that matches your bank account |
The Account holder name field is pre-filled from your KYC data and is not editable. The name on the bank account must match the name in Zerodha’s KYC records. If there is a mismatch (e.g., initials vs. full name, maiden name vs. married name), the verification will fail.
Step 5: Submit for penny-drop verification
Click Submit or Verify. Zerodha’s banking partner initiates a penny-drop verification: a micro-deposit of Re 1 is sent to the account number you provided via IMPS or NEFT. This confirms that the account number is valid, active, and belongs to you.
Step 6: Confirm the penny-drop credit
Check your bank account statement or mobile banking application within 30 minutes to 1 business day for a credit of Re 1. The credit remark typically reads something similar to “ZERODHA” or the name of the banking partner (such as HDFC Bank or RBL Bank). This credit is not something you need to report back to Zerodha; the verification is automated on their end.
Step 7: Await activation confirmation
Within 1–3 business days, the Bank accounts page in Console updates the new account’s status from Pending to Verified. Zerodha also sends an email and/or SMS to your registered contact details confirming the successful addition. Once the status is Verified, you can use this bank account to add funds via NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS.
Using the secondary bank account for fund additions
Once verified, the secondary bank account appears on the NEFT/RTGS/IMPS fund-addition screen in Kite. When transferring funds from the secondary bank, use the NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS channel and ensure the remitting account number matches the secondary account registered on Console. Transfers from unregistered bank accounts are rejected.
UPI fund additions must originate from a UPI handle linked to the primary bank account. A UPI VPA linked to the secondary bank account is not accepted for UPI deposits on Zerodha.
What can go wrong
Name mismatch rejection. The most common failure is a discrepancy between the account holder’s name at the bank and the name in Zerodha’s KYC records. Common causes include a middle name present at the bank but absent in KYC, a maiden name, or initials versus full name. To resolve this, you may need to update your bank’s records or update your KYC with Zerodha. Contact Zerodha support for guidance.
Penny-drop credit not received within 24 hours. If Re 1 does not appear in your bank account within one business day, the account number or IFSC may have been entered incorrectly. On Console, withdraw the pending request (if the option is available) and resubmit with the correct details. If re-submission is not available, raise a support ticket at support.zerodha.com.
Account not activating after 3 business days. If the status remains Pending beyond three business days after confirming the penny-drop was received, contact Zerodha support with your client ID and the last four digits of the account number. A Zerodha operations team member manually reviews the verification.
Three-account limit reached. If you already have three linked accounts, the Add bank account button is unavailable. You must first remove a secondary account to free up a slot.
UPI handle rejection at fund addition. Adding a secondary bank account does not enable UPI deposits from that bank. UPI deposits are restricted to handles linked to the primary bank. If you want UPI-based deposits from a different bank, change the primary bank account.
Related guides
- How to change your primary bank account on Zerodha
- How to remove a bank account on Zerodha
- How to add funds to Zerodha via NEFT, RTGS, or IMPS
- How to add funds to Zerodha via UPI
- How to withdraw funds from Zerodha
References
- Reserve Bank of India, “Master Direction on Know Your Customer (KYC),” RBI/2015-16/42, updated 2023.
- NPCI, “Account aggregation and penny-drop API documentation,” npci.org.in.
- Zerodha Support, “How to add or modify bank accounts on Zerodha,” support.zerodha.com.
- Zerodha Z-Connect Blog, “Managing multiple bank accounts on Zerodha,” zerodha.com/z-connect.
- SEBI, “SEBI (Stock Brokers and Sub-brokers) Regulations, 1992,” as amended, relating to client fund segregation.