Commodity brokerage and charges on MCX: the complete cost breakdown
Commodity trading on MCX looks a lot like equity F&O — flat brokerage, exchange fees, GST — but the tax line is different. Equity trades pay STT (Securities Transaction Tax); commodity trades pay CTT (Commodity Transaction Tax) instead, and the exchange charges follow MCX's own schedule, not NSE's.
Every charge on an MCX commodity trade
| Charge | Typical rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | Flat ₹20 per executed order (or 0.03%, whichever lower, at most discount brokers) | Both buy and sell |
| CTT | 0.01% on futures (non-agri); 0.05% on options premium | Sell side only |
| Exchange transaction charges | ~0.0021% of turnover on futures; higher %-of-premium on options | Both sides |
| SEBI charges | ₹10 per crore (agri commodities ₹1 per crore) | Both sides |
| Stamp duty | 0.002% on futures, 0.003% on options | Buy side only |
| GST | 18% on brokerage + exchange + SEBI charges | Service fees only |
Worked example: one lot of crude oil futures
Say you buy 1 lot of crude oil futures (100 barrels) at ₹6,000 and sell at ₹6,000 the same day — turnover of ₹6,00,000 on each side, ₹12,00,000 total.
| Line | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | ₹20 × 2 orders | ₹40.00 |
| CTT | 0.01% × ₹6,00,000 (sell) | ₹60.00 |
| Exchange transaction | 0.0021% × ₹12,00,000 | ₹25.20 |
| SEBI charges | ₹10 per crore × ₹12,00,000 | ₹1.20 |
| Stamp duty | 0.002% × ₹6,00,000 (buy) | ₹12.00 |
| GST | 18% × (₹40 + ₹25.20 + ₹1.20) | ₹11.95 |
| Total charges | — | ≈ ₹150.35 |
So a flat-price round trip still costs about ₹150 — crude oil has to move roughly ₹1.50 per barrel in your favour just to break even. That breakeven-move logic is exactly what our brokerage calculator computes automatically for equity and F&O trades.
How commodity charges differ from equity F&O
- CTT replaces STT. Same idea, different statute and different rates — and unlike equity delivery, it hits only the sell side of futures.
- Exchange charges are MCX's own. They differ from NSE F&O rates and change periodically, so always cross-check the current MCX circular or your broker's rate card.
- Margins behave differently. Commodity contracts trade into late evening and carry their own SPAN + exposure margins; a position that looks cheap on charges can still be heavy on margin.
- No DP charges. Commodity derivatives are cash-settled or delivered through separate mechanisms, so the per-scrip DP fee you see on equity delivery sells doesn't appear.
Is there a TradeProfy commodity calculator?
An MCX tab is on the roadmap. Today, TradeProfy's brokerage calculator covers equity delivery, intraday, futures and options on NSE/BSE, and the same principles — flat brokerage, turnover-based taxes, GST on service fees — carry straight over to commodities using the table above. For position risk, the position size calculator and margin & leverage calculator work for any instrument.