Which Nepali Banks Don’t Charge ASBA Fees? Updated C-ASBA Charges 2025

At present, 43 banks and financial institutions in Nepal provide the C-ASBA (Centralized ASBA) service, according to CDSC (CDS and Clearing Limited). All commercial banks are offering this service, but not all of them charge the same fee.

1. Banks That Don’t Charge Any C-ASBA Fee

Out of all commercial banks, five banks provide the C-ASBA service for free:

• Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB)

• Nabil Bank

• NMB Bank

• Siddhartha Bank

• Standard Chartered Bank

Kumari Bank charges Rs. 2, while most other banks charge Rs. 5 per application.

Table of Commercial Banks – Bank ASBA/C-ASBA Charges in Nepal [Updated 2025]

2. Development Banks

Currently, 12 development banks offer the C-ASBA service.
Among them, two banks provide it free of charge:

• Green Development Bank

• Shine Resunga Development Bank

All other development banks charge Rs. 5 per application.

Table of Development Banks – ASBA/C-ASBA Charges in Nepal [Updated 2025]

3. Finance Companies

There are 11 finance companies providing the C-ASBA service.
Out of these, four offer it for free:

• Gorkhas Finance

• Manjushree Finance

• Best Finance

• Central Finance

The remaining seven finance companies charge Rs. 5 per IPO appli

Table of Finance Companies – ASBA/C-ASBA Charges in Nepal [Updated 2025]

SEBON’s Rule on C-ASBA Fees

The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) introduced a rule effective from Bhadra 5, 2079, which states that banks and financial institutions cannot charge more than Rs. 5 for C-ASBA service.

Before this rule, some banks used to charge as high as Rs. 100, which caused strong criticism from investors.
Now, with the new limit, all banks and financial institutions must follow the maximum Rs. 5 rule.

Why ASBA / C-ASBA Matters

The ASBA system modernized the way investors apply for IPOs and other securities in Nepal.
Under this system, the amount you apply for is blocked in your bank account instead of being deducted immediately.

If you get shares, the amount is debited after allotment. If not, the blocked money is automatically released and added in your bank account.

This makes the process simpler, faster, and more trustworthy for investors.

To make it even smoother, the C-ASBA system was later introduced by CDSC.
Which Nepali Banks Don’t Charge ASBA Fees? Updated C-ASBA Charges 2025

How Does ASBA Work?

1. Filling the form:
When you want to apply for an IPO, you can fill out the ASBA form at your bank or apply online through “My ASBA” on the Mero Share website. You enter your personal details, bank information, and the number of shares you want.

2. Blocking the money:
After you submit the application, your bank checks if you have enough balance.
If everything looks fine, the required amount is blocked in your account.
If it’s not verified, you can ask your bank to confirm it.

3. Checking applications:
The system then checks to make sure you haven’t applied more than once.
If duplicate applications are found, they’re cancelled.

4. Preparing the list:
Once all applications are verified, the issue manager makes a draft list of eligible investors. This list is then sent to the Securities Board of Nepal for final approval.

5. Allotment:
After approval, the shares are distributed through a lottery system.
The result is published on the CDSC and issue manager’s websites.
If you get shares, the blocked money is deducted from your bank account.
If you don’t, the money is released automatically.