Online trading platforms have made stock market investing much easier for retail investors.
One such platform is Dhan, which offers a digital interface for trading in stocks, derivatives, and other financial instruments.
While many traders use the platform for its features and tools, there are situations where some users may notice higher deductions or unexpected costs in their trading accounts.
These are often described as excess charges, and investors need to understand why such charges may appear and how they can deal with them.
Dhan Excess Charges Overview
Dhan is a modern trading platform that provides services such as equity trading, futures and options trading, and investment tools for traders.
The platform focuses on technology-driven trading and offers various features designed to help investors make market decisions.
However, like any brokerage service, trading through Dhan involves certain costs.
These may include brokerage fees, statutory taxes, exchange transaction charges, and other platform-related fees.
Sometimes investors may feel that the total deductions in their account are higher than expected, especially when there are frequent trades or when the complete fee structure is not fully understood.
For this reason, it is always advisable for traders to review their contract notes and account statements to stay informed about the charges applied to each transaction.
Dhan Excess Charges Complaints
The data reflects complaint records from the reporting platform and may not represent the company’s total customer base.
Summary table: Year, No. of active clients, No. of complaints, Complaints against excess charges
| Year | No. of Active Clients | No. of Complaints | Complaints against Excess Charges |
| 2021-22 | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 20 | 10 | Around 6 |
| 2024-25 | 28 | 249 | Around 169 |
| 2025-26 | 27 | 82 | Around 50 |
The table highlights the trend between the number of clients and the complaints received over five years.
Even though the number of active clients remained relatively small and fairly stable, the number of complaints changed significantly over the years.
During the first two years (2021–22 and 2022–23), complaints were very low, and there were no issues related to excess charges.
However, from 2023–24 onwards, complaints started increasing, and a noticeable portion of them were related to excess charges.
The situation became most serious in 2024–25, when complaints rose sharply despite having only a moderate increase in clients.
A large share of these complaints were about excess charges, suggesting possible problems in billing or service processes during that year.
In the following year, 2025–26, the number of complaints reduced considerably, which may indicate that corrective actions were taken.
When Can Brokerage Churning Be Suspected?
When you open a trading account, you expect to pay for the service of executing your strategy.
However, there is a fine line between active trading and a portfolio that is being drained by excessive, unnecessary transactions.
When a broker or an authorised representative executes an excessive number of trades in a client’s account primarily to generate commissions, it is known as churning in the share market.
Understanding why your account balance is dropping faster than expected requires looking at both the visible costs and the behavioural patterns of the account.
One common reason is high trading frequency, where multiple buy and sell orders increase brokerage and transaction fees.
Another situation occurs when traders are not fully aware of all the charges associated with their trades, such as taxes, exchange fees, or other regulatory costs.
These charges can add up and make the overall deduction appear larger.
In some cases, investors may also observe trading activity that does not match their own actions.
If an account shows unusual transactions or higher deductions compared to normal trading behaviour, it is important to review the account details carefully and verify all trades.
Regular monitoring of your trading account can help detect any unexpected charges early.
How to File a Complaint Against a Stockbroker in India?
If you believe that the charges applied to your trading account are incorrect or excessive, you should follow the proper complaint procedure to resolve the issue.
1. Connect Dhan Support Team
Begin by reaching out to Dhan’s customer support and ask for a detailed explanation of the charges in your account.
The support team can review your trading activity and clarify how the deductions were calculated.
While filing a complaint, it is important to keep documents such as contract notes, trading statements, transaction records, and any communication with the broker.
These documents help support your case during the complaint or arbitration process.
2. Raise the Matter with the Stock Exchange
If the broker does not provide a satisfactory resolution, you can file a complaint with the stock exchange where the broker is registered, such as NSE or BSE.
The exchange will review the case and may investigate the matter further.
3. Submit a Complaint through SCORES
Investors can file a complaint at SEBI through the SCORES portal.
This online system allows investors to report grievances related to brokerage services and track the progress of their complaint.
You can also monitor the SEBI complaint status online for follow-up.
4. Request Arbitration
If the dispute remains unresolved, investors have the option to apply for arbitration in the stock exchange.
In this process, an independent panel reviews the case and provides a final decision regarding the dispute between the investor and the broker.
Need Help?
Many traders find it difficult to understand detailed trading statements and identify whether the charges applied to their accounts are accurate.
Without proper knowledge, it can be challenging to determine if the deductions are reasonable. Register with us.
Our team can review your trading account statements and analyse the charges applied to your transactions.
We help traders understand their account activity and identify any unusual deductions.
If necessary, we also guide investors through the complaint process and help them take the appropriate steps to resolve the issue.
Conclusion
Unexpected trading costs can impact your overall returns if they go unnoticed.
That is why investors should regularly check their trading statements and stay informed about the charges associated with their brokerage platform.
If you notice unusual deductions or trading activity in your Dhan account, it is important to investigate the issue and raise the matter with the appropriate authority.
Staying alert and reviewing your account activity regularly can help ensure a more transparent and secure trading experience.
