Money Basics · Stocks & demat

Your first trade

Buying a stock for the first time feels complicated. It isn't. Here is exactly what happens when you tap 'Buy' in any broker app.

Before you buy

Fund your trading account. Transfer money from your bank to your brokerage account via UPI or IMPS. This is called your available margin/funds.

Placing a buy order

Search for the stock by its ticker symbol. Tap Buy. Fill in:

• Exchange: NSE (default for most)
• Quantity: how many shares
• Order type: Limit (you set price) or Market (execute at current price)
• Product: CNC for delivery (hold overnight), MIS for intraday (sell same day)

Tap Confirm. Done. Your order goes to NSE's matching engine in milliseconds.

> A market order accepts whatever the book offers, and on a thin book that can land far from the last traded price. A limit order fixes your price and risks the trade instead: if the day's range never reaches it, nothing happens at all. Neither is the safe one.

After buying

• Order status: Executed (filled) or Pending (waiting for your price to hit)
• Shares appear in Positions (today's trade) then move to Holdings after T+1
• Your available funds reduce by the purchase amount + charges

Selling

Go to Holdings → tap the stock → tap Sell → choose quantity and price → confirm.

For delivery shares, the money (minus charges) arrives in your trading account next working day (T+1).

₹0Brokerage on delivery trades at most discount brokers

₹20Flat fee per F&O trade at most discount brokers

Check your contract note

After every trade, your broker sends a contract note. A legal record of the transaction with the exact price, quantity, charges. Review it. This is your official transaction receipt.

Takeaway. Use CNC + Limit orders for delivery buying. Shares land in your holdings T+1. Check your contract note after every trade.