WazirX Zero-Fee Crypto Trading in India

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Crypto exchange WazirX introduced a flat-fee subscription model with its platform restart, aimed at reducing trading costs for retail investors, as digital asset adoption accelerates in India.

The platform's 'ZERO' plan replaces traditional percentage-based brokerage fees with a fixed monthly charge of Rs 99, allowing users to execute unlimited trades for zero-fee across more than 300 tokens.

"WazirX's ZERO model represents a structural shift from transaction-based pricing to access-based pricing. By introducing a flat Rs 99 monthly subscription, whether a trader executes a few trades or dozens within a month, the platform cost remains fixed, removing the uncertainty associated with per-trade charges," said Founder Nischal Shetty.

Crypto exchanges typically charge users up to 0.5 per cent per transaction, costs that can compound significantly for frequent traders. For instance, a user trading Rs 10,000 ten times a month could incur annual costs of nearly Rs 25,000 when factoring in brokerage fees. In addition, there's a 1 per cent tax deducted at source (TDS) on crypto transactions, which get added to the trading fees.


Shetty said the model was designed to rethink how exchanges serve retail participants by shifting revenue generation from transaction-based fees to subscriptions. "The idea behind the ZERO model was to rethink how exchanges serve retail participants… the platform aligns its incentives more closely with user access rather than trading activity revenue," he added.

While exchanges must continue to comply with regulatory requirements such as TDS, industry participants say pricing innovations could improve accessibility for smaller investors by simplifying cost structures and enhancing transparency.

The move comes as competition intensifies in India's crypto market, with other exchanges also exploring similar subscription-based models following WazirX's announcement.

As adoption grows, such models could enable traders to focus less on transaction costs and more on market participation in the evolving crypto ecosystem.