Credit cards can cost merchants 1.5-2.5%, while debit cards can cost up to 0.9%; new UPI MDR is capped at Rs 300
UPI payments above ₹2,000 will attract a merchant fee for eligible businesses from October 15. Here's how small shopkeepers can check if the new MDR rules apply to them
Sources stress MDR is not a tax on UPI, since the fee is distributed among participants in the payments chain rather than accruing to the government
Distributors flag concerns over the new UPI merchant charges, while quick-commerce firms expect limited impact as most transactions remain below the Rs 2,000 threshold
LocalCircles survey finds 41% of merchants unwilling to bear any MDR on UPI payments above Rs 2,000, while 9% do not accept UPI payments
Modest charges will enable healthy growth
A panel comprising representatives of banks, service providers and various associations would soon take a call on charges to be levied on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 to merchants. The UPI & Services Steering Committee has 22 members, including Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and Payments Council of India (PCI). According to sources, the committee would soon take decision on Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transaction above Rs 2,000 based on various factors including self-sustainability and market expansion. For example, merchant charge in Brazil's PIX ecosystem is around 0.33 per cent, while in China, such charge is 0.40 per cent. The government on Monday said that UPI transactions, including through RuPay debit cards, up to Rs 2,000 from person to merchant are free. All person-to-person UPI transactions will also continue to be free. As per a gazette notification dated September 14, no bank or system provider would impose, whether directly or indirectly, any charge on a ...
LocalCircles survey finds 41% of merchants unwilling to bear any MDR on UPI payments above ₹2,000, while only 17% would accept a charge of 0.3% or more
A 2017 RBI rule barring merchants from passing debit card MDR to customers could guide safeguards against similar charges on UPI payments
The Bill opens the door to selective UPI MDR, but leaves the operating details undecided. Here are six questions the final framework will need to answer before any charge takes effect
UPI payments are free for merchants, while card transactions carry MDR. Here's why the two digital payment systems have different costs and how a possible UPI charge could work
It is worth seeing the argument from a perspective that does not limit itself to asking how UPI infrastructure costs ought to be funded
The debate over UPI pricing is shifting as zero-MDR strains the ecosystem, raising questions over who should bear costs and whether a calibrated MDR can sustain digital public infrastructure
Restoring MDR for high-threshold transactions/merchants; or a tiered incentive structure
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"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
The Ministry of Finance said UPI users will continue to pay no transaction charges, while a possible MDR could apply only to select merchant transactions above a threshold.
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The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, could pave the way for an MDR on UPI. Here's how MDR works, the current structure and what may change
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