thinkorswim Commission Schedule
| Investments | Commissions |
|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | $0 |
| Options | $0.65 per contract |
| Mutual funds | $0 for Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource funds, up to $49.95 per purchase for other funds, $49.95 short-term redemption fee on certain OneSource funds held 90 days or less |
| Futures | $2.25 per contract |
|
CDs, Corporate Bonds, Municipal Bonds, Government Agencies, Zero-Coupon Treasuries,
including STRIPS and Mortgage-Backed Securities
|
$1 per bond, $10 minimum, $250 maximum |
| Preferred Stocks and REITs | $0 |
| Commercial Paper, Foreign Bonds, Unit Investment Trusts | call for pricing |
| Investments |
stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, Treasury issues, options, CDs, insurance, ETFs,
forex, annuities, non-U.S. securities and ADRs, preferred stocks, REITs, and Canadian foreign orders
|
| Minimum deposit to open an account | $0 for cash account, $2,000 for margin account |
| Promotion link | Charles Schwab promotions |
thinkorswim Margin Interest Rates
|
Debit Balance
|
Charles Schwab Margin Rate
|
|
$0 - $24,999.99
|
11.825%
|
|
$25,000 - $49,999.99
|
11.325%
|
|
$50,000 - $99,999.99
|
10.375%
|
|
$100,000 - $249,999.99
|
10.325%
|
|
$250,000 - $499,999.99
|
10.075%
|
|
$1,000,000+
|
call 877-752-9749
|
thinkorswim Fees
thinkorswim is available at no charge. There are no platform, subscription, or software fees for thinkorswim in mobile, desktop, or web-browser form. There is also no fee to use thinkorswim in either live trading or simulated (paper trading) mode.
Schwab also provides real-time market information on thinkorswim for U.S. equities and options. This setup includes Level II quotes, time & sales data, and streaming quotes for stocks and equity options. Futures, futures options, and forex data may require exchange fees or subscriptions depending on the product and exchange. News articles and research tools on the platform are also available at no added cost.
Beyond the no-platform-fee policy, Schwab imposes no account minimums or trading requirements to access thinkorswim. There is no minimum funding amount and no monthly trading requirement to use the platform. Accounts with very low or zero balances can still log in and use paper trading mode, although live trading requires an open brokerage account.
It is also free to sign in on Schwab’s website and use the educational materials for thinkorswim. These resources are available in the Learn section of Schwab’s site.
Although there are no platform charges or minimum opening deposit requirements for thinkorswim, Schwab does require a brokerage account to be opened for live trading. This account has no annual fee and no minimum opening deposit requirement.
Free thinkorswim Account
thinkorswim Account Activity Fees
| Late settlement fee | $25 |
| Mutual fund Online and Automated Phone short-term redemption fee | $49.95 |
| Mutual fund Broker-Assisted short-term redemption fee | $49.95, plus $25 service charge |
Order out of certificates (for all U.S. and some Canadian securities):
Book entry of securities held electronically at transfer agent (Direct Registration System) | $0 per issue |
Order out of certificates (for all U.S. and some Canadian securities):
Physical certificates | $100 per certificate. Additional charges can apply for rush requests. |
| Security reorganization (voluntary, mandatory, and post-effective) | $0 |
| Transfer (out) of assets: Full | $50 per account |
| Transfer (out) of assets: Partial | $0 per account |
Other thinkorswim Commissions
| Canadian Stock Transactions | Online: $6.95. Automated Phone: Online commission plus $5. Broker-Assisted: $6.95 + $25 service charge |
| Foreign Stock Transactions (Trades placed on the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) market) | Online: $50 foreign transaction fee. Automated Phone: $55. Broker-Assisted: $75 |
| Foreign Stock Transactions (Trades placed directly on a foreign exchange) | Online: Not available. Automated Phone: Not available. Broker-Assisted: The greater of $100 or 0.75% of principal, with no maximum |
| Non-U.S. ETFs are available for eligible non-U.S. residents as broker-assisted trades | $50 |
| Large block transactions (orders of 10,000 or more shares, or orders over $500,000) | May be eligible for special handling and/or pricing—please call Schwab for information. |
| Restricted stock transactions | Broker-assisted commission pricing schedule applies for all restricted stock trades |
Free thinkorswim Platform
Visit thinkorswim Website
Updated on 4/20/2026.
Arthur Chachuna is a professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of Brokerage-Review.com.
He has been an avid investor for 25 years, and has a background in both applied math and programming.
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