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ICICI Direct FAQ

ICICI is a very reputed and recognized brand in the banking sector, thus also making it a reliable stock broker. A brand’s trust and goodwill are notable factors to consider, as it also portrays the stockbroker's stability and level of excellence. This makes ICICI Direct a highly trustworthy broking service provider.

Additionally, ICICI Direct claims to have adopted several measures to enhance the security of your holdings and ensure the protection of your account.

ICICI Direct offers three types of brokerage plans to its customers. The ICICI brokerage charges, thus depend on the type of plan that you’ve chosen.

Read more about ICICI brokerage charges

ICICI Direct serves three types of brokerage plans to its customers. You can choose the one best suited for your financial needs.

I-Secure Plan (Flat brokerage Plan): This plan offers Flat Brokerage (in %) irrespective of the turnover value and is best suited for investors who are looking for secured and fixed brokerage.

ICICI Direct Prepaid Brokerage Plan: This plan offers discounted brokerage rates when you pay an upfront one time fixed fee. There are 6 types of prepaid plans available, where each plan has a validity of 15 years. 

ICICI Direct Prime Plan: The prime plan is aimed at reducing brokerage charges for investors and also helps transfer money instantly in their bank account when selling shares. This plan also provides exclusive research services to its members. Three prime plans - Rs.900, Rs.4500 and Rs.9500 are available to customers, and each of these plans offers an upfront reduction in ICICI brokerage across all equity and derivative products. All of these plans are valid for 365 days.

Click here to know more about these ICICI direct plans

ICICI Direct offers a variety of trading platforms to suit the needs of different traders. These trading platforms include:

Trade Racer: This is ICICI Direct's flagship trading platform. It is a desktop-based platform that offers a wide range of features, including:

  • Real-time streaming quotes and charts
  • Technical indicators and screeners
  • Advanced order management tools
  • Research and analysis reports
  • Customizable watchlists and layouts

ICICIdirect.com: This is ICICI Direct's web-based trading platform. It offers a similar set of features to Trade Racer, but it is more accessible to users who do not have access to a desktop computer.

ICICI Direct mobile app: This is ICICI Direct's mobile trading app. It offers a limited set of features compared to Trade Racer and ICICIdirect.com, but it is still a convenient option for users who want to trade on the go.

Trade Racer Algo: This is ICICI Direct's algorithmic trading platform. It allows users to automate their trading strategies by creating and deploying algorithms.

ICICI Direct Smart API: This is ICICI Direct's API (application programming interface). It allows users to integrate ICICI Direct's trading platform with their own custom trading applications.

In addition to these trading platforms, ICICI Direct also offers a variety of other trading tools and resources, such as:

  • i-Lens: This is ICICI Direct's stock screener. It allows users to filter stocks based on various criteria, such as financial performance, technical indicators, and valuation ratios.
  • Breeze API: This is ICICI Direct's API for real-time market data. It allows users to integrate real-time market data from ICICI Direct into their own applications.
  • Investonomics: This is ICICI Direct's educational platform. It offers a variety of resources on investing and trading, including articles, videos, and webinars.

ICICI Direct's trading platforms and tools are designed to meet the needs of traders of all levels, from beginners to experienced traders.

 

It is possible to open an ICICI Direct account online through either its mobile app or through its website. 
To know step-by-step process for open demat account online.

ICICI Direct provides regular mutual fund schemes and charges a commission from its investors. These charges for investing in the mutual funds are based on the transaction amount. On an investment of less than Rs.8 lakhs in mutual fund holdings through ICICI Direct, you will be charged Rs.100 per transaction for a lump-sum purchase. For SIP transactions, you will have to pay Rs.30 or 1.5% of the investment value, whichever is lower. Additionally, you will also have to pay a 10.30% service tax per transaction.

If you have a holding of Rs.8 lakh or more, the broker will not charge anything from you.

ICICI Direct provides a range of trading and investment options, thus giving new investors a platter to choose from. Also, the company offers free research and advisory services, which makes it easier for stock market beginners who need hand-holding, to start their investment journey and further provides them with a convenient trading experience.

Yes, ICICI Direct offers a variety of additional products and services, including mutual funds, IPOs, insurance, loans, and wealth management.

Mutual funds: ICICI Direct offers a wide range of mutual funds from different fund houses. You can invest in equity mutual funds, debt mutual funds, hybrid mutual funds, and ETF (exchange-traded funds).

IPOs: ICICI Direct allows you to invest in IPOs (initial public offerings). IPOs are the first time a company offers its shares to the public. ICICI Direct also provides research and analysis on IPOs to help you make informed investment decisions.

Insurance: ICICI Direct offers a variety of insurance products, including life insurance, health insurance, and motor insurance. You can compare and buy insurance products from different insurance companies on the ICICI Direct website.

Loans: ICICI Direct offers a variety of loans, such as home loans, personal loans, and car loans. You can compare and apply for loans from different banks on the ICICI Direct website.

Wealth management: ICICI Direct offers wealth management services to help you manage your finances and achieve your financial goals. Wealth management services include financial planning, investment advice, and portfolio management.

In addition to these products and services, ICICI Direct also offers a variety of other features, such as:

  • Research and analysis: ICICI Direct provides research and analysis on a variety of financial instruments, including stocks, mutual funds, and IPOs.
  • Trading tools: ICICI Direct offers a variety of trading tools, such as charts, technical indicators, and screeners.
  • Educational resources: ICICI Direct offers a variety of educational resources on investing and trading.

Overall, ICICI Direct is a comprehensive financial services platform that offers a wide range of products and services to its customers.

A retail trading and investment service, ICICI Direct, is a part of ICICI Securities, the largest retail stock broker firm in India. ICICI Direct offers 'online trading and investment' services to more than 20 lakhs customers. It offers services online as well as through a network of branches across India.

Opening a trading account with ICICI direct is free of cost irrespective of the plan you have chosen. However, the other charges like brokerage, maintenance, margin, other charges depend upon the product, segment and the plan you have chosen.

Some charges in ICICI Direct which include trading account opening charges (onetime), trading account maintenance charges (AMC), and Demat account opening charges are all free of cost. The demat account maintenance charges (AMC) is Rs 700. However, these charges depend upon the product and plan you have chosen.

To open an account with ICICIDirect, follow either of the steps below:

  1. Offline Process: Visit the nearest ICICI Bank branch in your city and fill in the application for opening an account. Many branches of ICICI Bank offer the ICICIDirect 3-in-1 account opening, which is the quickest way to open an account with ICICIDirect.

  2. Online Process:  
    Click on ‘Open an Account’

    Fill an online registration form.

    Then, select 'Apply Online - Resident Account'.

    Fill the online application form and submit it. 

    Once you submit all the forms and supporting documents, in most cases, it may take up to 7 working days for the account to get activated.

 

To close an ICICI Direct Demat account, the following details must be furnished:

  1. Your ID and your Depository Participant ID.

  2. KYC details like name and address that match with details submitted to ICICI Direct.

  3. The reason for closing the demat account.

  4. Ensure that there are no dues on your account as well as no untraded securities.

  5. A bank employee must mandatorily submit and verify the self-attested identity proof copy.

Following the submission of the above-mentioned documents and details, the Demat account shall be closed within 7-10 business days subject to the condition that there should be no dues pending from the account holder's side.

The prime plan of ICICI Direct is aimed at reducing brokerage charges for investors and also helps transfer money instantly in their bank account when selling shares. This plan also provides exclusive research services to its members. Four prime plans - Rs. 299, Rs. 999, Rs. 1999 and Rs. 2999 are available to customers, and each of these plans offers an upfront reduction in ICICI direct brokerage across all equity and derivative products. All of these plans are valid for 365 days.

ICICI Direct requires you to maintain a minimum balance of Rs.20,000 in your Demat or Trading Account in terms of minimum Margin Money.

To withdraw money from your ICICI Direct account, follow the steps below:

  1. Log in to your ICICI Direct account.

  2. Click on “Menu”.

  3. Click on “Funds”.

  4. Under the “Withdrawals” tab, check the Releasable Amount. The releasable amount is less than the funds shown in the trading account as part of said funds are held for brokerage charges, margin requirements, etc.

  5. Enter the Withdrawal Amount, this has to be less than the Releasable Amount.

  6. Click the “Submit” button to confirm the withdrawal request.