Investing Funds Pay-in Kite

Pay-in funds explained on Kite

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated 20 May 2026. Reading time ~3 min.

Pay-in on Kite (and Console ) refers to adding funds to your Zerodha trading account from your registered bank. Once funds are paid in, they become part of your cash available on the Kite funds page , usable for buys, F&O margin, or to meet the cash component requirement on F&O positions.

Pay-in methods

Method	Speed	Charges
UPI	Instant (a few seconds)	Free up to most banks’ UPI limits
IMPS	Instant during banking hours	Free (depends on your bank)
NEFT	Up to 30 minutes (settles in 30-min RBI batch)	Free
RTGS	Instant for amounts >= Rs 2 lakh	Free (depends on bank)
Net banking transfer	Generally instant	Free
UPI mandate (for SIPs / IPOs)	Authorisation step; settles per the mandate schedule	Free
Cheque deposit	T+1 or T+2 (legacy; rare now)	Free

UPI is the dominant pay-in method for Indian retail flows. Zerodha supports UPI pay-in through several PSPs.

SEBI’s running account framework

After SEBI’s running account framework changes:

Funds paid in are kept in the user’s trading account, used for trades and margin.
Idle funds (no trades for a defined period) are mandatorily settled back to the user’s bank by the broker, every quarter (the “Quarterly Settlement” cycle).
The user can also request an immediate withdrawal at any time.

This means money in your trading account is not parked indefinitely; if you don’t trade, it returns to your bank.

Pay-in flow on Kite

Open Kite > Funds > Add funds.
Select method (UPI, IMPS, NEFT, etc.).
Enter amount.
Confirm via UPI app (for UPI) or net banking.
Funds appear in cash within seconds (UPI) or minutes (other methods).

SEBI’s PML / KYC framework

Each pay-in transaction is logged for Anti-Money Laundering and KYC compliance. Pay-in from accounts other than your registered bank is not allowed; the source bank must be the one linked to your Zerodha trading account.

When the funds will be usable

Method	Available for buy / margin
UPI	Within seconds
IMPS	Within minutes
NEFT	After the RBI batch settlement (up to 30 min)
RTGS	Within minutes

If you pay in via UPI at 09:00 and the funds don’t appear by 09:05, contact Zerodha support; sometimes the bank confirmation is delayed.

Failed pay-ins

If a pay-in attempt fails (debit happens on your bank but funds don’t appear at Zerodha within 24 hours):

Save the bank transaction reference.
Contact Zerodha support via Console.
Provide the bank reference and amount.

Zerodha investigates with the PSP and reconciles. Typical resolution: 1-3 working days.

Cash component for F&O

SEBI requires 50% of the F&O initial margin to be in cash or cash-equivalent. If your portfolio is mostly pledged equity, you must keep enough free cash via pay-in to meet this. The shortfall is charged interest at a SEBI-set rate.

Pay-in to bank rebate

Some banks offer transaction-charge rebates for net banking pay-in to broker accounts. Zerodha does not charge for pay-in; any fee would be from your bank.

External references

References

SEBI, Quarterly settlement of clients’ running account, circular dated 27 July 2022.
RBI, Payment system NEFT and RTGS guidelines, rbi.org.in.
Zerodha Support, Pay-in and pay-out, support.zerodha.com.
NPCI, UPI specifications, npci.org.in.

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: 20 May 2026
Conflicts of interest: WebNotes is independent. No relationship with any broker, registrar or bank named in this article.