# How to buy a mutual fund

You need a PAN, KYC and a bank account. The purchase itself takes a few minutes.

Full page: https://discovermf.com/guides/how-to-buy-a-mutual-fund
Last checked 1 Nov 2026, from DiscoverMF.

## What you need

- **PAN**, linked to your Aadhaar
- **KYC** done once with a KYC registration agency; [how to complete KYC](https://discovermf.com/guides/mutual-fund-kyc)
- **A bank account in your name**, for paying and for receiving redemptions
- **A mobile number and email** of your own, used to confirm every transaction

## Where to buy

- **Through a mutual fund distributor or an investment adviser** registered with AMFI or SEBI, who handles the paperwork and can help you choose.
- **The fund house's own website or app.** You open an account (a folio) with your PAN and buy any of its funds.
- **[MF Central](https://discovermf.com/guides/mf-central)**, run by CAMS and KFintech under SEBI's direction. One login covers funds from almost every fund house.
- **[MF Utilities](https://discovermf.com/guides/mf-utilities)**, a shared platform set up by the fund houses, where one account number works across most of them.

## The steps

1. Find the fund here and note its full name and fund house.
2. Choose **Invest** for that scheme, then the plan and the option: **Growth** keeps the gains invested; **IDCW** pays some out from time to time.
3. Choose a one-time amount or a SIP, and the amount.
4. Pay by UPI or net banking. For a SIP, set up an automatic debit from your bank.
5. You receive a confirmation by email and SMS, naming the scheme, plan and option, and the units are added at the NAV for that day.

## Which NAV you get

If your money reaches the fund before the cut-off time on a business day (3 pm for most funds, 1:30 pm for liquid and overnight funds), you get that day's NAV. After the cut-off, you get the next business day's.

## Questions

### Do I need a demat account to buy a mutual fund?

No. Units bought through a distributor, from the fund house or on MF Central and MF Utilities are held with the fund's registrar in your name.

### Is there a fee to buy a mutual fund?

A stamp duty of 0.005% of the amount applies to every purchase. The fund's yearly costs are in its expense ratio, shown on every fund page here.