HDFC Demat Account Charges Explained

Understanding the full charge structure of your HDFC demat account — whether through HDFC Securities or HDFC Sky — prevents surprises in your ledger statement and allows accurate calculation of investment costs. The charges span account opening, annual maintenance, brokerage, depository transaction fees, and statutory levies. This article breaks down every relevant charge for both platforms.

HDFC Securities — Complete Charges Breakdown

Account Opening Charge: ₹999 for the combined trading and demat account. HDFC Bank regularly runs promotional campaigns where this charge is waived — always check the current status on hdfcsec.com before applying.

Demat AMC: ₹750 per year, charged annually. The first year is waived. From the second year, ₹750 is debited from your trading account balance. Under BSDA for eligible small investors (holdings below ₹4,00,000), AMC is zero.

Brokerage — Standard Plan: HDFC Securities charges percentage-based brokerage on equity trades — plan-based, with minimum brokerage varying by plan: Platina plan minimum ₹10 per order; Premia ₹15; Maxima ₹20; Optima ₹25. Value Plans available for HDFC Bank Managed Programme customers offer equity delivery trading free of brokerage.

Demat Debit Transaction Charges (DP Charges on Selling):

• EASIEST (online instruction): 0.04% of transaction value, minimum ₹20 per transaction
• Online instruction via HDFC Securities portal: 0.04%, minimum ₹25 per transaction
• Manual/physical instruction: 0.04%, minimum ₹40 per transaction
• Debt securities: 0.04%, minimum ₹40, maximum ₹5,000 per transaction
• BSDA accounts: 0.06%, minimum ₹40 (or higher depending on instruction type)

This percentage-based DP charge model is different from Zerodha and ICICI Direct, which charge flat per-scrip fees. For larger trades, HDFC Securities’ percentage-based DP charge can be higher.

HDFC Sky — Complete Charges Breakdown

Account Opening: ₹0 — completely free.

AMC: ₹0 for Year 1. From Year 2: ₹300/year — the same as Zerodha. BSDA zero AMC applies for holdings below ₹4,00,000.

Brokerage: ₹20 flat per executed order on all trades — equity delivery, intraday, F&O, currency, and commodity. No percentage-based option.

DP Charges (Selling): ₹20 + GST per scrip per day when selling shares from demat account.

Dematerialisation: ₹50 per certificate.

Call and Trade Charges: ₹20 per call for orders placed through the call centre.

Reactivation: No charge for reactivating a closed or dormant account.

Overview: Charge Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the demat AMC for HDFC Securities?

A: ₹750 per year from the second year onwards. The first year is waived as a promotional offer.

Q2. How does HDFC Securities’ DP charge differ from HDFC Sky?

A: HDFC Securities charges 0.04% of transaction value (minimum ₹20–₹40 depending on instruction type) — a percentage model. HDFC Sky charges a flat ₹20 + GST per scrip per day, similar to Zerodha.

Q3. Is there a zero brokerage delivery option at HDFC Securities?

A: Yes — HDFC Securities Value Plans (for eligible HDFC Bank Managed Programme customers) offer equity delivery trading without brokerage, alongside an AMC structure that varies by programme eligibility.

Q4. Does HDFC Sky charge for US stock investing?

A: US stock investing through HDFC Sky may involve separate transaction charges applicable to international equity orders — confirm current rates on the HDFC Sky platform before placing international orders.

Q5. What is the minimum brokerage at HDFC Securities?

A: Depends on the plan: Platina ₹10, Premia ₹15, Maxima ₹20, Optima ₹25 per executed order — minimum brokerage applies regardless of trade value.