Zerodha Challenge Brokerage Promotional

Zerodha 60-day no-brokerage challenge

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The Zerodha 60-day no-brokerage challenge is a promotional / onboarding offering for new Zerodha clients, providing zero brokerage on equity delivery (CNC) trades for the first 60 days from account activation. The specific terms and even the existence of this offering have varied over time; verify against the current Zerodha promotional page before relying on it.

What it covered

When active:

AspectDetail
Eligible clientNew Zerodha clients (first 60 days)
Eligible productEquity delivery (CNC) trades
BrokerageRs 0 (vs Zerodha’s standard Rs 0 for CNC; effectively same)
Other chargesSTT, exchange, GST still apply (not “no charges”)
DurationFirst 60 days from account opening

The challenge framed Zerodha’s existing zero-brokerage-on-delivery model as a special period; in practice, equity delivery has been zero brokerage at Zerodha for years.

What was NOT included

  • Intraday MIS: Rs 20 per trade brokerage (standard).
  • F&O orders: Rs 20 per trade brokerage.
  • Currency / commodity: Standard charges.
  • STT, exchange transaction, GST, stamp duty, SEBI fee: All still charged.

So “no brokerage” referred only to the broker’s brokerage component, not government / exchange charges.

Why the framing

For discount brokers like Zerodha, the marketing of “zero brokerage on delivery” is a key differentiator from full-service brokers (where delivery brokerage might be 0.3-0.5%).

The 60-day challenge:

  • Onboarding incentive for new clients to try Zerodha.
  • Demonstrates the cost saving vs full-service brokers.
  • Limited-time tag creates urgency.

Effectively a marketing wrapper around Zerodha’s standard product.

Current status

As of 2026, the specific 60-day promotional framing has changed:

  • Zerodha’s standard offering is zero brokerage on equity delivery (without time limit).
  • Time-limited promotional challenges have run periodically; specific terms vary.
  • Check Zerodha’s account opening page for current promotional details.

Comparing total cost: delivery vs intraday

Trade typeBrokerage (Zerodha)STTOther charges
Equity delivery (CNC) sellRs 00.025% of sale valueExchange + GST + Stamp + SEBI
Equity intraday (MIS) buyRs 20 (flat)0% on buyExchange + GST + Stamp + SEBI
Equity intraday (MIS) sellRs 20 (flat)0.025% of sale valueExchange + GST + Stamp + SEBI
F&O futures sellRs 20 (flat)0.02% of value (post Oct 2024)Exchange + GST + Stamp + SEBI

For most retail buy-and-hold investors, equity delivery is genuinely brokerage-free at Zerodha.

Account opening process

If the 60-day challenge is offered when you open an account:

  1. Open account via the standard Zerodha flow.
  2. The challenge tag appears in your Console / app dashboard.
  3. Trade as usual; brokerage waiver applies automatically to CNC trades.
  4. After 60 days, the standard pricing resumes (which for CNC is also Rs 0).

In practice, this means new clients can trade delivery for the rest of their account life at Rs 0 brokerage; the 60-day “challenge” is a framing device.

Reading the fine print

  • Terms and conditions are published on the offer landing page.
  • Exclusions may exist (some products, some segments).
  • Promotional caps (some challenges limit savings or volume).
  • Settlement charges (STT, exchange, GST, stamp, SEBI) are not part of brokerage.

See also

External references

References

  1. Zerodha, Brokerage and pricing, zerodha.com.
  2. Zerodha promotional terms (historical), zerodha.com.
  3. SEBI, Broker charge disclosures, sebi.gov.in.

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