Demat Account Charges and Fees
A Demat account is required to hold your shares and securities in electronic form, making trading safe and hassle-free. However, opening and maintaining a Demat account involves certain fees. Knowing these costs in advance helps you manage your investments better, avoid unexpected expenses, and make informed financial decisions while trading in the stock market.
What Are Demat Account Fees?
A Demat account holds shares, mutual funds, bonds, and other securities electronically. Demat account fees are the costs you pay to keep your securities safe in digital form. These fees typically include account opening charges, annual maintenance charges (AMC), transaction charges for selling shares, and additional service costs, such as rematerialisation or courier requests. The exact amount varies based on your broker or depository participant (DP) and the type of Demat account you choose.
Demat Account Opening Charges
The demat account opening charges vary depending on the type of account and the service provider you choose. Below is the breakdown of charges slevied on different accounts:
Online AccountOffline Account
NRI Account(Offline Only)Corporate / HUF / LLP Account
With Findoc, opening an online Demat account is completely paperless and free.
- No charges are applied for individuals using the online process
- Offline account opening may require additional documents and take extra time.
- KYC compliance is mandatory for all account types.
Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) for Demat Accounts
Demat account AMC is the yearly fee charged to maintain your account. This fee may depend on your investment size or account type.
| Account Type | Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA) | Non-BSDA Account | NRI Account |
| AMC (Yearly) | Free if holdings < ₹4 lakh | ₹300 + 18% GST, charged quarterly | ₹500 + GST per year |
These charges are automatically deducted from your linked trading account balance, ensuring smooth account maintenance without manual intervention.
Depository Participant (DP) Transaction Fees
A Depository Participant charge is levied whenever you sell securities from your Demat account. This fee is applied for each security, regardless of the shares sold.
| Type of Transaction | Regular Equity Sell | Female Account Holders | Mutual Funds/Bond Sells |
| Charges per Scrip (Sell Side) | ₹15.34 (includes DP + GST) | ₹0.25 discount per transaction | ₹0.25 additional discount on DP fees |
These discounted rates encourage cost-effective trading, especially for female investors and mutual fund/bond sellers. Such fee structures make selling securities simpler and more affordable across different asset classes.
Other Charges: Dematerialisation, Courier
These are optional or one-time charges applied only for specific physical requests.
| Service | Dematerialisation | Physical CMR Copy (first one free) | Courier for Paper Statements |
| Charges | ₹150 per certificate + courier + GST | ₹120 (₹20 request + ₹100 courier) | ₹20 per contract note |
These charges are applicable only when you need paper copies or physical share certificates.
Regulatory & Statutory Charges (STT, SEBI, Stamp Duty, GST)
These are government-mandated charges applicable to every trade, regardless of the broker or platform.
| Charge Type | Equity | Commodity | Currency |
| STT (Securities Transaction Tax) | 0.1% on buy or sell (delivery), 0.025% on sell side (intraday) | 0.01% and 0.05% | No charges |
| SEBI Charges | ₹10 per crore | ₹10 per crore | ₹10 per crore |
| Stamp Duty | 0.003% - 0.015% on buy side | 0.0001% | 0.0003% |
| GST | 18% on total service fees (brokerage + SEBI + others) | 18% on total service fees (brokerage + SEBI + others) | 18% on total service fees (brokerage + SEBI + others) |
These charges are automatically added to every trade bill and contract note. They are uniform across all brokers and ensure transparency and compliance in every financial transaction.
Full Service vs Discount Brokers: Fee Comparison
Brokerage costs vary depending on whether you choose a full service broker or a discount broker. Here’s a quick comparison to help you understand the difference in their fee structures:
Discount brokers are cheaper for regular traders. Full-service brokers may provide personal advisors, but at a cost.
How to Reduce or Avoid Demat Account Fees?
Managing your Demat account smartly can help reduce overall costs and improve your investment returns. Follow these simple tips to lower or even avoid unnecessary Demat account charges:
Choose BSDA if eligible
If your holdings are below ₹ 4 lakh, AMC can be free
Avoid physical requests
Use digital documents to avoid courier charges
Select discount brokers
Findoc offers low-cost intraday trading charges.
Track all charges regularly
Helps you spot and avoid unnecessary costs
Bundle trades smartly
Fewer orders mean fewer DP transaction charges
How Are Fees Billed & Where to Check Them?
Demat account fees are automatically billed, making it easy to track without manual effort.
Here’s how these charges are applied and where you can find detailed information:
- Automatically deducted from your trading account
- Listed in your contract note, which you receive after every trade
- Available in account statements on your broker’s dashboard
To check these:
- Log in to your trading platform
- Go to ‘Reports’ or ‘Contract Notes’
- Review detailed fee breakdowns per trade or month