Transparency about charges is where investors often have the most questions when evaluating ICICI Direct. As a full-service broker, ICICI Direct’s charge structure is more layered than discount brokers — it covers multiple fee types depending on your chosen plan, trading activity, and account category. Understanding each charge component helps investors accurately calculate the total cost of their investing activity and choose the most appropriate plan for their profile.
Complete Charges Breakdown
Account Opening Charges: Currently ₹0 online for standard resident individual accounts. ICICI Direct periodically revises this — always confirm the current status on icicidirect.com before applying.
Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC):
Demat AMC under standard plans: ₹500/year (physical statements) or ₹450/year (email statements). The first year is free; charges apply from the second year onwards.
Trading account AMC: ₹975/year under the I-Secure Plan.
Under iVALUE/Prime Plan: Demat AMC reduces to ₹300/year. The one-time iVALUE subscription costs ₹299.
BSDA (Basic Services Demat Account): Zero AMC for holdings below ₹4,00,000. For holdings between ₹4,00,001 and ₹10,00,000, AMC applies as per SEBI guidelines. The BSDA status is automatically assigned for qualifying single-demat-account holders.
Brokerage Charges:
I-Secure Plan: 0.275% to 0.55% on equity delivery trades; percentage-based on other segments. This is the legacy plan — typically the most expensive option for active traders.
Neo / Prime / iVALUE Plan: ₹0 on equity delivery; ₹20 per executed order on intraday, F&O, currency, and commodity.
DP Charges (Depository Participant Charges): ₹20 + 18% GST per scrip per day when you sell shares from your demat account. This ₹20 covers both the depository fee (₹4 for NSDL accounts or ₹3.50 for CDSL accounts) and ICICI’s DP processing fee. Charged per scrip regardless of quantity sold.
Securities Transaction Tax (STT): Equity delivery: 0.1% (buy + sell). Equity intraday: 0.025% (sell only). Options: 0.1% on premium (sell). Levied by the central government — not ICICI’s charge.
Exchange Transaction Charges: Collected by NSE and BSE on total turnover — typically 0.00297% for equity delivery on NSE. Pass-through charges, not retained by ICICI Direct.
GST: 18% on brokerage, exchange transaction charges, and DP charges.
Stamp Duty: 0.015% on equity delivery purchases; 0.003% on intraday purchases — state government levy on the buy side only.
SEBI Charges: ₹10 per crore of traded value — regulatory fee payable to SEBI.
Other Notable Charges:
Dematerialisation (converting physical shares to demat): ₹150 per certificate + ₹100 courier charges. Rematerialisation: ₹150 per certificate + courier. System square-off (for margin positions squared off by the broker): ₹50 per order, capped at ₹100 per day. Failed instruction: ₹50 per instruction. Interest on SAM (Shares as Margin for F&O): 0.027% per day + GST on utilised margin.
Overview Table: ICICI Direct Charges — Complete Reference
| Charge Type | Amount / Rate |
| Account Opening | ₹0 (online) |
| Demat AMC (I-Secure) | ₹500/year (physical) / ₹450 (email) |
| Trading AMC (I-Secure) | ₹975/year |
| Demat AMC (iVALUE/Prime) | ₹300/year |
| Demat AMC (BSDA <₹4L) | ₹0 |
| iVALUE Subscription | ₹299 one-time |
| Delivery Brokerage (I-Secure) | 0.275%–0.55% |
| Delivery Brokerage (Neo/Prime) | ₹0 |
| Intraday/F&O Brokerage (Prime) | ₹20 per order |
| DP Charge (Selling) | ₹20 + GST per scrip per day |
| STT (Delivery) | 0.1% (buy + sell) |
| STT (Intraday Sell) | 0.025% |
| GST | 18% on brokerage/charges |
| Stamp Duty (Buy) | 0.015% delivery; 0.003% intraday |
| SEBI Charges | ₹10 per crore |
| Dematerialisation | ₹150 + ₹100 courier per certificate |
| System Square-Off | ₹50/order (max ₹100/day) |
| SAM Interest (F&O margin) | 0.027%/day + GST |
Key Insight: Plan Matters Most
The single most important decision affecting your ICICI Direct charge burden is the plan you choose. On the I-Secure Plan, a delivery trade worth ₹1,00,000 attracts ₹275 to ₹550 brokerage. On the Neo/Prime Plan, the same trade attracts ₹0 brokerage. For an active investor executing 10 to 20 delivery trades annually, this difference translates to thousands of rupees. Always evaluate your trading volume before choosing the default legacy plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the total first-year cost of an ICICI Direct standard demat account?
A: First year account opening: ₹0. First year AMC: ₹0 (waived for year one in most cases). From the second year under I-Secure Plan: demat AMC ₹500 + trading AMC ₹975 = ₹1,475 + GST annually.
Q2. How does the iVALUE plan reduce ICICI Direct charges?
A: The ₹299 one-time iVALUE subscription reduces delivery brokerage to ₹0, intraday/F&O brokerage to ₹20 flat per order, and annual demat AMC to ₹300 — matching Zerodha’s structure closely.
Q3. Is the DP charge at ICICI Direct the same as Zerodha?
A: No — ICICI Direct DP charge is ₹20 + GST per scrip per day; Zerodha’s is ₹15.34 per scrip per day. ICICI’s is approximately ₹5 higher per scrip transaction.
Q4. Does ICICI Direct charge for using GTT (Good Till Triggered) orders?
A: No — GTT order placement is free, similar to Zerodha. Brokerage is charged only when the GTT triggers and the order is executed.
Q5. What is the AMC for an ICICI Direct BSDA account?
A: Zero if total holding value is below ₹4,00,000. This makes ICICI Direct’s BSDA account a zero-maintenance-cost entry point for small investors with modest portfolios.
