Tickertape charges explained: US stock brokerage, FX markup, TCS, and what you actually pay

Tickertape has no account opening fee, no annual maintenance fee, and no withdrawal fee. Its 0.15% brokerage is tied for the lowest among mainstream India-facing US investing platforms. What it does have is an FX markup on every LRS remittance (via GlomoPay) and TCS collected by your bank on amounts above ₹10 lakh.

This article breaks down every cost, shows the math at different investment sizes, and compares Tickertape to the alternatives.

The complete Tickertape fee list

Important note on FX: Tickertape's FX markup via GlomoPay is the least transparent component of its fee structure. Before transferring significant amounts, check the current rate directly rather than relying on estimates. The total cost of investing includes brokerage and FX — and for large amounts, FX can dwarf brokerage in absolute rupees.

Brokerage: 0.15% — the clearest advantage

Tickertape's brokerage is 0.15% of the trade value with no cap.

• On a ₹50,000 buy (≈$590): 0.15% = ₹75 brokerage
• On a ₹2L buy (≈$2,350): 0.15% = ₹300 brokerage
• On a ₹5L buy (≈$5,900): 0.15% = ₹750 brokerage
• On a ₹10L buy (≈$11,765): 0.15% = ₹1,500 brokerage
• On a ₹25L buy (≈$29,412): 0.15% = ₹3,750 brokerage

Compare this to Vested Basic and INDmoney at 0.25% (capped at $35):

• At ₹10L: INDmoney charges ₹2,500 vs Tickertape's ₹1,500 — a ₹1,000 saving
• At ₹12L: INDmoney's $35 cap kicks in (≈₹2,975); Tickertape charges ₹1,800 — ₹1,175 cheaper
• At ₹25L: INDmoney is capped at $35 per order (≈₹2,975); Tickertape charges ₹3,750 in a single order — above ₹20L per trade, the $35 cap makes Vested/INDmoney cheaper

Note: Vested Premium (₹4,500/year) also charges 0.15% — matching Tickertape on the per-trade rate, but adding the $35 cap which Tickertape lacks.

Brokerage comparison across platforms

FX markup: the number Tickertape doesn't publicise

This is the most important thing to verify before investing large amounts through Tickertape.

Tickertape uses GlomoPay for INR-to-USD conversion and for the bank transfer leg of your remittance. GlomoPay applies a markup above the interbank mid-market rate on both inbound (INR to USD when you fund) and outbound (USD to INR when you repatriate) conversions.

The specific GlomoPay FX markup is not prominently published in Tickertape's fee schedule as of mid-2026. Industry estimates for comparable LRS-route conversion services range from 0.5–1% above interbank.

Why this matters:

At 0.75% FX markup and ₹10 lakh invested:

• FX cost: ≈₹7,500 on the inbound leg
• Brokerage: ₹1,500

The FX cost is 5x the brokerage cost on a ₹10L investment. The round-trip (fund + repatriate) FX cost could reach ₹15,000+ on the same investment — 10x the brokerage cost on that trade.

For smaller investments (₹1–3 lakh), the brokerage advantage at 0.15% is the more relevant number. For larger investments (₹10L+), the FX markup dominates.

What to do: Before transferring ₹5 lakh or more, check the live GlomoPay rate Tickertape is offering against the mid-market rate (xe.com is a good reference). The gap is the effective FX markup. If it exceeds 1%, factor that into your platform comparison.

TCS: standard LRS rules apply

Despite ViewTrade International being IFSCA-registered (GIFT City), Tickertape's investor-facing product uses the standard LRS remittance route. Your money leaves your Indian bank as a foreign remittance via SWIFT.

TCS under Section 206C(1G) therefore applies:

TCS is collected by your Indian bank, not by Tickertape. It is creditable against your income tax liability at ITR filing — not a permanent loss, but capital blocked until your refund (typically 4–12 months after year-end).

If you are investing ₹10 lakh or less per year across all LRS purposes, TCS is zero on Tickertape.

Comparing to GIFT City route platforms: Dhan, INDmoney, and Tickertape itself also use GIFT City IFSC routes, but TCS applies at the same standard rates on GIFT City routes as on direct LRS — 0% up to ₹10 lakh/year, 20% above. The GIFT City operational difference is a domestic NEFT/IMPS transfer instead of SWIFT and no A2/15CA/15CB documentation required, not a TCS exemption.

The entity structure: who holds your shares

Tickertape partners with:

• ViewTrade International IFSC: Brokerage execution and custody, registered with IFSCA as a Global Access Provider. Your US securities are held within ViewTrade's infrastructure.
• GlomoPay: INR-to-USD conversion and bank transfer layer.

Your securities are not held by Tickertape directly. They sit at ViewTrade's US custody infrastructure.

IFSCA regulation is the relevant investor protection framework for ViewTrade — different from FINRA/SIPC (which applies to Alpaca, DriveWealth, and IBKR). Both frameworks aim to provide similar protections, but they are different regulatory authorities. IFSCA is a newer regulator (established 2020); FINRA/SIPC have decades of track record.

Total cost example: ₹10 lakh invested, held 2 years, sold

Assumptions: interbank rate ₹85/$, GlomoPay FX markup 0.75% (verify current rate), portfolio grows to ₹14 lakh.

Tickertape's brokerage advantage over Vested/INDmoney saves ≈₹2,000 on this example (buy + sell). The FX markup is the dominant non-tax cost — which is why verifying the GlomoPay rate matters more than comparing headline brokerage rates.

Tickertape vs alternatives: full cost comparison

For ₹10 lakh invested annually, held and repatriated within the year:

Key insight: On brokerage alone, Tickertape is tied with Rovia for the lowest cost. But Rovia's outbound repatriation at flat $5 is significantly cheaper than percentage-based FX markup on the outbound leg for any amount above ≈$600. For investors who regularly repatriate, Rovia's flat $5 outbound cost is a meaningful structural advantage over platforms with percentage-based outbound FX.

What Tickertape charges for — and what it does well

Beyond the fee structure, Tickertape's core value is research integration. The same screeners, PE band analysis, peer comparisons, and backtesting that Tickertape offers for Indian stocks are available for US stocks — and you can move from research directly to execution in the same platform.

If you are a fundamental investor who uses screeners to find stock ideas, Tickertape's research workflow is the best available among India-facing US investing platforms. You pay the same 0.15% brokerage as Rovia but get:

• A screener across hundreds of fundamental metrics for US stocks
• Peer comparison side-by-side for your shortlist
• Historical PE bands for valuation context
• Backtesting of investment strategies in INR terms
• Research-to-buy in a single platform without switching apps

This research depth is not in Tickertape's fee schedule, because it is free. But it is a real part of the value you get for the 0.15% brokerage.

What Tickertape does not provide

• Inbound ACATS / RSU transfer: Cannot receive vested RSU shares from Fidelity, E*TRADE, Schwab, or Morgan Stanley. Rovia is the platform for that.
• Lot-level INR cost basis: No vest-date SBI TT rate application per lot.
• Specific-lot identification at sell: Defaults to FIFO.
• Schedule FA helper: No automated Schedule FA output.
• Tax-loss harvesting reports: No realized-loss schedule with carry-forward tracker.
• OTC (pink-sheet) stocks: Available on INDmoney, not Tickertape.
• Indian wealth integration: Tickertape has Indian stock research but is not an all-in-one Indian + US wealth platform in the way INDmoney is.

Is Tickertape the right choice?

Yes, if:

• You research individual US stocks using screeners and want to execute in the same platform
• You are investing ₹3–15 lakh per year and the 0.15% brokerage advantage vs Vested/INDmoney matters to your cost structure
• You are already a Tickertape user for Indian equity research and want to extend to US stocks without a second platform
• You do not have RSU shares to consolidate

No, if:

• You have RSUs or ESPP shares at a US employer broker → Rovia
• You need lot-level INR tax tooling and Schedule FA automation → Rovia
• TCS avoidance is a priority → Dhan (GIFT City route)
• You need options, international exchanges, or very low FX costs → IBKR via Paasa

Related reading

• Tickertape US stocks guide 2026
• Tickertape vs Vested for US stocks
• Rovia vs Tickertape
• Best US stock platform for Indian investors 2026
• LRS, TCS, and Schedule FA: the compliance trifecta

Vested.blog is the editorial publication of Rovia.