Account opening charges at Zerodha

Overview

Zerodha charges a one-time account opening fee of Rs 200 for the equity and derivatives trading account bundled with a CDSL demat account. An additional Rs 100 is charged for adding a commodity trading account (for MCX trading). NRI account opening carries a higher fee of Rs 500, reflecting the additional compliance and documentation requirements. 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.

Zerodha’s account opening fee is among the lowest in the Indian broking industry. Several brokers offer zero-cost account opening; Zerodha’s Rs 200 charge has been a point of comparison with competitors such as Groww and Upstox, which have periodically offered free account opening as a promotional measure.

Fee structure

GST at 18 percent applies on the account opening fee. For the standard Rs 200 equity account: total with GST = Rs 236.

What the account opening fee covers

The Rs 200 fee covers:

• Account verification and KYC processing (Aadhaar-based video KYC or in-person verification)
• Opening of the Zerodha trading account (Kite)
• 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)

The account opening fee does not cover commodity trading on MCX; that requires the additional Rs 100.

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. Payment of account opening fee: Rs 200 paid via UPI or net banking.
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.

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. This means the effective first-year cost is only Rs 200 (account opening fee) + Rs 36 GST = Rs 236. From the second year, the AMC of Rs 354 (Rs 300 + GST) is charged annually. See AMC at Zerodha for details.

Comparison with other brokers

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

Groww, Upstox, Angel One, and 5Paisa have moved to free account opening, making Zerodha’s Rs 200 charge a point of competitive disadvantage for acquisition of new retail investors. However, this difference is a one-time cost and is small relative to the lifetime trading costs on any active account.

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