Learn › Charges and costs
Intraday trading charges in India, explained simply
You bought a stock at ₹1,000, sold it at ₹1,050, and your app shows a profit of ₹5,000. But your bank account gets less. Where did the rest go? Into six small charges that apply to every intraday trade. This guide explains each one in plain language, with real numbers.
In short: on a typical intraday trade with a discount broker you pay brokerage, STT, exchange transaction charges, a SEBI fee, stamp duty, and 18% GST on some of these. Together they’re small per trade, but they decide whether frequent, small trades make money at all.
The six charges on every intraday trade
Here are the charges for an intraday equity trade on NSE with a typical discount broker, using the rates in effect in November 2026. “Buy value” means price × quantity when you buy; “sell value” is the same when you sell.
| Charge | Rate (intraday equity, NSE) | Charged on |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | ₹20 or 0.03% per order, whichever is lower (typical discount broker) | Buy order and sell order separately |
| STT (Securities Transaction Tax) | 0.025% | Sell value only |
| Exchange transaction charges | 0.00307% | Buy value + sell value |
| SEBI fee | ₹10 per crore (0.0001%) | Buy value + sell value |
| Stamp duty | 0.003% | Buy value only |
| GST | 18% | Brokerage + exchange charges + SEBI fee |
Brokerage depends on your broker’s plan, and exchange charges are slightly different on BSE. Your contract note always shows the exact amounts.
1. Brokerage
This is your broker’s fee for placing the order. Most discount brokers charge a flat amount, usually up to ₹20, or a small percentage, whichever is lower. It applies to each order, so one complete intraday trade (buy, then sell) usually costs two brokerages. On small orders the percentage rule kicks in, which is why tiny trades pay less than ₹20.
2. STT (Securities Transaction Tax)
STT is a tax collected by the government on share market trades. For intraday equity it’s 0.025%, and only on the sell side. On delivery trades (where you hold shares overnight) STT is much higher, 0.1% on both buying and selling, which is one reason intraday charges look cheaper per trade.
3. Exchange transaction charges
NSE and BSE charge a tiny fee for using the exchange. It’s calculated on your total turnover, meaning the buy value plus the sell value.
4. SEBI turnover fee
SEBI, the market regulator, charges ₹10 for every ₹1 crore traded. On normal trade sizes this is just a few paise, but it’s there on every contract note.
5. Stamp duty
A government duty on the buy side only. For intraday equity it’s 0.003% of the buy value.
6. GST
18% GST is added on the services you pay for: brokerage, exchange transaction charges and the SEBI fee. GST is not charged on STT or stamp duty.
Worked example: 100 shares, ₹1,000 to ₹1,050
You buy 100 shares at ₹1,000 (buy value ₹1,00,000) and sell them the same day at ₹1,050 (sell value ₹1,05,000). Your price profit is ₹5,000. Here are the charges:
| Charge | How it’s calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | ₹20 on buy + ₹20 on sell (0.03% would be more than ₹20 on both) | ₹40.00 |
| STT | 0.025% of ₹1,05,000 | ₹26.25 |
| Exchange charges | 0.00307% of ₹2,05,000 | ₹6.29 |
| SEBI fee | ₹10 per crore on ₹2,05,000 | ₹0.20 |
| Stamp duty | 0.003% of ₹1,00,000 | ₹3.00 |
| GST | 18% of (₹40 + ₹6.29 + ₹0.20) | ₹8.37 |
| Total charges | ₹84.12 |
So your real profit is ₹5,000 − ₹84.12 = ₹4,915.88. Charges took about 1.7% of the profit here, which is very manageable. The price had to move about ₹0.84 per share just to cover costs.
Why small trades quietly lose money
Now look at a small trade: 10 shares bought at ₹500 and sold at ₹503. The price profit is just ₹30. Total charges come to about ₹5.33, so you keep ₹24.67. Charges ate almost 18% of the profit.
And if a trade ends where it started, you don’t break even, you lose. Buying and selling 100 shares at ₹1,000 with no price change still costs about ₹82.68. Do that a few times a day and the charges add up to thousands of rupees a month, even if your trades are “breakeven.”
Breakeven rule of thumb: divide your total charges by your quantity. That’s how many rupees the price must move in your favour before you make a single rupee. On the 100-share example it’s about ₹0.84 per share.
Check your own trades. Enter any buy price, sell price and quantity and see every charge instantly.
🧮 Open the charges calculatorHow to keep your trading costs low
- Take fewer, better trades. Every round trip has a fixed cost. Ten average trades cost far more than two good ones.
- Avoid very small targets. If you aim for a few paise per share, charges can take most of the profit.
- Know your broker’s plan. Brokerage differs between brokers and plans, and some charge extra for things like call-and-trade.
- Track your net profit, not gross. Many traders only look at price profit. A trading journal that subtracts charges shows the real picture.
- Read your contract note. It lists every charge for the day, so you can check nothing unexpected was added.
💬 From the founder
“Trading is a patience game. The trader with more patience usually makes better trades. Every time you wait for a proper setup instead of jumping in, you also save a round of charges. Over a month, patience shows up twice: in better trades and in a smaller charges bill.”
Want to test your patience? Try Patience Pays, our free game that rewards waiting for the right setup.
See what charges really cost you. Tradyog’s free journal subtracts all charges from every trade automatically.
📒 Start your free journalFrequently asked questions
Is STT charged on both buying and selling in intraday?
No. For intraday equity trades, STT is charged only on the sell side, at 0.025% of the sell value. For delivery trades it’s 0.1% on both sides.
Is GST charged on STT?
No. GST at 18% applies to brokerage, exchange transaction charges and the SEBI fee. STT and stamp duty are taxes themselves, and GST isn’t added on them.
Why is brokerage less than ₹20 on my small trade?
Most discount brokers charge ₹20 or a small percentage of the order value, whichever is lower. On small orders the percentage works out to less than ₹20.
Are charges the same for futures and options?
No. Futures and options have different STT rates and exchange charges. STT on futures and options was increased from April 2026. We’ll cover F&O charges in a separate guide; meanwhile the Tradyog calculator already uses the current rates.
Do I pay charges even if I make a loss?
Yes. Charges are based on trade value, not profit, so they apply to winning trades, losing trades and breakeven trades alike.
Sources
Rates are for intraday equity trades on NSE with a typical discount broker, checked against the published charges page of a leading discount broker (zerodha.com/charges) in November 2026. Charges can change through government budgets and exchange circulars, and brokerage varies between brokers, so always check your own contract note.
This article is for education only and isn’t investment advice. Tradyog is not registered with SEBI as an investment adviser or research analyst.