Account opening charges at Zerodha

Overview

Zerodha opens a resident individual account for free, a position in effect since 29 June 2024, which covers the equity and derivatives trading account bundled with a CDSL demat account, with commodity (MCX) trading included on the same account. A minor account is also free to open. The Rs 500 fee survives only for an NRI account and for a non-individual account (HUF opened offline, partnership, LLP, corporate) opened through the offline route. An HUF account opened online is free. There are no annual renewal charges for the trading account itself; the separate annual maintenance charge (AMC) of Rs 300 plus GST applies to the CDSL demat account from the second year onward.

Free resident-individual opening puts Zerodha in line with Groww, Upstox, Angel One, and 5Paisa, which had moved to zero-cost opening earlier. Zerodha had charged Rs 200 to open a resident equity account until 28 June 2024; that figure no longer applies to resident individuals.

Fee structure

GST at 18 per cent applies where a fee is charged. The Rs 500 fee on an NRI or offline non-individual account totals Rs 590 with GST. A free resident individual or minor account carries no opening fee and no GST on opening.

What a resident individual account includes

Free opening of a resident individual account covers:

• Account verification and KYC processing (Aadhaar-based video KYC or in-person verification)
• Opening of the Zerodha trading account (Kite), with equity, derivatives, and commodity (MCX) segments
• Opening of the CDSL demat account (Zerodha as DP)
• First-year AMC waiver on the demat account (the Rs 300 AMC is not charged for the first year)
• Access to Zerodha Console back-office platform
• Access to Zerodha Varsity (educational platform), Zerodha Kite (trading platform), and Coin (mutual funds)

Commodity trading on MCX is enabled on the same resident individual account at no extra opening charge.

Online account opening process

Zerodha’s account opening is fully online through the zerodha.com portal:

1. Mobile number and email registration: Enter mobile number and email. OTP verification.
2. PAN entry: PAN is verified against NSDL/CDSL records.
3. Aadhaar-based KYC: Aadhaar is linked via DigiLocker for automatic KYC data pull (address, date of birth, name). Consent is required for DigiLocker access.
4. Bank account linkage: The client’s savings bank account details (IFSC, account number) are linked. A small penny-drop or IMPS verification may be used to validate the bank account.
5. Signature upload: A scanned or digitised signature.
6. Video KYC (V-KYC): A brief live video call with a Zerodha representative to verify identity, or an Aadhaar-based e-Sign can substitute.
7. e-Sign and submit: A resident individual signs the application with an Aadhaar-based e-Sign and submits it. There is no opening-fee payment step for a resident individual or minor account; an NRI or offline non-individual applicant pays the Rs 500 fee at this stage.
8. Account activation: Zerodha processes the application; trading and demat accounts are typically activated within 1-2 business days.

The entire process can be completed in 30 to 60 minutes for clients with DigiLocker-linked Aadhaar. Clients without Aadhaar linkage may require additional documentation and processing time. Readers who have reviewed the fees above and decide to proceed can open a Zerodha account .

Documents required

• PAN card
• Aadhaar (for DigiLocker-based KYC)
• Bank account details (cancelled cheque or passbook copy)
• Signature (wet or digitised)
• Mobile number linked to Aadhaar (for OTP-based verification)

For NRI clients: additionally, passport, overseas address proof, PIS permission letter (for PIS route), and overseas bank account details.

First-year AMC waiver

The demat account AMC of Rs 300 per year is waived for the first year of account operation. For a resident individual, this means the first year carries no opening fee and no AMC, so the effective first-year cost is nil. From the second year, the AMC of Rs 354 (Rs 300 plus GST) is charged annually. See AMC at Zerodha for details.

Comparison with other brokers

Account opening fees across major brokers as of mid-2026:

Zerodha removed its Rs 200 resident equity opening fee on 29 June 2024, matching Groww, Upstox, Angel One, and 5Paisa on free opening for resident individuals. The earlier Rs 200 charge no longer applies and is not a point of comparison for new resident accounts.

Dormant account and account closure

Clients who open a Zerodha account and do not trade or hold securities have no ongoing charges beyond the annual AMC after the first year. If a client decides to close the account, Zerodha does not charge an account closure fee. The client must transfer out any remaining securities (to another demat account) before requesting closure, as Zerodha cannot close a demat account with non-zero holdings.

Account closure requests can be submitted online through Zerodha Console. Zerodha processes closures within 5 to 7 business days after all holdings are cleared and outstanding charges are settled.

Regulatory requirements for account opening

SEBI mandates the Know Your Customer (KYC) process for all trading and demat account openings under the SEBI (KYC Registration Agency) Regulations 2011 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. Zerodha is required to verify the client’s identity, address, and financial profile before activating the account. The KYC data is shared with the CDSL KYC Registration Agency (KRA) and is accessible by other SEBI-registered intermediaries for clients who subsequently open accounts with other brokers.

See also

• Zerodha brokerage structure overview
• AMC at Zerodha
• DDPI one-time charge
• NRI brokerage at Zerodha
• CMR/CML physical request charges
• Zerodha
• SEBI

References

1. SEBI (KYC Registration Agency) Regulations 2011
2. Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002
3. SEBI Master Circular for Stock Brokers, SEBI/HO/MIRSD/MIRSD-PoD-1/P/CIR/2023/72
4. Zerodha account opening page, zerodha.com (accessed May 2026)
5. Zerodha Charges page, support.zerodha.com/category/charges (accessed May 2026)
6. CDSL KYC guidelines for depository participants