UPI Transactions

Today's opinions examine tribunal appointments, aviation leadership, consultation gaps in ethanol and UPI policy, philanthropic capital for science, and a true-crime investigation.

UPI users won't pay a transaction fee for now, but a proposed MDR framework could change how some merchant payments work.

"No MDR framework has yet been finalised," Sitharaman said. She added that consumers would continue to make instant digital payments through UPI without paying a transaction charge

NPCI plans to use the country's vast diaspora to drive global expansion, while also exploring AI-enabled payments through platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini

The industry body said consumers and small merchants would remain protected from charges, while any merchant service fees would be commercial arrangements with payment providers

The Lok Sabha's tax amendment Bill opens the door for future UPI merchant charges, reigniting the debate on funding India's fast-growing digital payments ecosystem

The proposal to levy a fee on UPI transactions could put quick commerce in the slow lane

RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra says digital payment infrastructure has costs as the Union government weighs bringing back MDR on high-value UPI merchant transactions

Transaction volume rose 4.1 per cent from June and 22 per cent year-on-year as everyday digital payments and growing adoption beyond metropolitan markets supported growth

Following privacy concerns, NPCI has asked UPI apps to hide phone numbers and make username-based payment IDs the default for new users

Smaller UPI apps have urged NPCI to reconsider UPI Meta, warning the proposed one-click checkout feature could further strengthen PhonePe and Google Pay's dominance

NPCI's offline NFC-based UPI can expand digital payments and financial inclusion, but robust security, fraud safeguards and strong consumer protection must underpin its rollout

NPCI is developing an offline UPI system that could enable NFC-based merchant payments without internet connectivity, using secure tokens and deferred settlement

This opens up use-cases such as payments on flights and underground trains

UPI payments to securities brokers surged 38.5% by value in June, while digital gold transactions jumped sharply, according to NPCI data

More than 611 million UPI transactions worth Rs 25,416 crore were authenticated using biometrics in June, reflecting rising adoption of fingerprint and facial recognition

Volumes decline 2% from May's record high, though both value and transaction count remain sharply higher than a year ago

UPI adoption is rising among women entrepreneurs, but their digital finance journey is also expanding into credit, investments and tech

Central bank says prudential treatment of payment-linked credit facilities will depend on the nature of the underlying loan, irrespective of delivery mode

Suryoday SFB launched its Credit on UPI product in August 2025 in partnership with Paytm