The Famous Penny Stock… For most new and non savvy investors, penny stocks at first seem like a great idea and way to get started in the stock market. E*TRADE charges $0 commission for online US-listed stock, ETF, and options trades. Exclusions may apply and E*TRADE reserves the right to charge variable commission rates. The standard options contract fee is $0.65 per contract (or $0.50 per contract for customers who execute at least 30 stock, ETF, and options trades per quarter). At E*Trade penny stocks can be traded on the website, the broker’s mobile app, and its desktop platform. Unfortunately, the E*Trade site doesn’t have a trade bar. When you’ve found a penny stock you want to buy or short, submitting the order is just as easy as placing a trade for a regular stock.