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Brokerage Charges

Hidden Charges in Stock Broking: What to Check

Auto square-off, call & trade, AMC, pledge fees, MTF interest and more — the charges that don't show up in headline brokerage.

Researched and written by the BestStockBrokerIndia Editorial Team Reviewed by the BestStockBrokerIndia Editorial TeamPublished Updated How we research
DP charge: one ₹10,000 sale in 2 sell ordersEach broker counts a demat debit differently.Sharekhan₹0Zerodha₹15.34Upstox₹23.60Kotak Securities₹23.60ICICI Direct₹28.32Groww₹47.20Angel One₹47.20HDFC SKY₹47.205paisa₹47.20Motilal Oswalnot verifiedSource: broker tariff pages; see the DP charges guide for the rules.

The charges beyond brokerage

Brokers are required to publish their tariff, so these charges are not secret — but they are easy to miss. Always read the full pricing page before opening an account.

Charge What triggers it Typical published range
Demat AMC Holding a demat account ₹0 to ₹700+ per year
DP charge Selling delivery shares About ₹15–₹24 incl. GST, counted per stock per day or per sell order depending on the broker
Auto square-off Broker closes your intraday position ₹20–₹75 + GST per order
Call & trade Placing orders by phone ₹20–₹75 + GST per order
MTF interest Using margin trading funding 0.04%–0.05% per day or ~15–18% per year
Pledge / unpledge Pledging shares for margin Varies
Payment gateway Adding funds via some methods Varies
Physical contract notes Requesting paper copies Varies
Account closure / transfer Closing or moving holdings Often free, check

Examples from brokers we review (published, checked 30 September 2026)

  • Upstox: auto square-off and call & trade ₹75 + GST each.
  • Groww: auto square-off ₹50 per position.
  • Zerodha: call & trade ₹50 per order.
  • ICICI Direct: call & trade ₹50 per order.
  • HDFC SKY: square-off ₹50 + GST.

How to avoid them

  • Close intraday positions yourself before the square-off time.
  • Use the app rather than call & trade.
  • Choose a broker whose AMC suits the size of your holdings — or a BSDA account.
  • Treat MTF interest as a daily cost and track it.

See every broker's full fee schedule in our brokerage charges comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Do brokers have to publish charges?

Yes. Brokers publish tariff sheets, and charges must be disclosed to clients. Contract notes and ledger statements show what you paid.

Can a broker change charges?

Yes, brokers can revise their tariff with notice to clients. That is why we show the date we last checked each fee.

Sources

  1. Upstox – Brokerage charges — accessed 30 September 2026
  2. Groww – Pricing (statutory charges) — accessed 30 September 2026
  3. Zerodha – Charges (statutory charges table) — accessed 30 September 2026
  4. ICICI Direct – Brokerage — accessed 30 September 2026
  5. HDFC SKY – Pricing — accessed 30 September 2026