Unified Payments Interface

UPI merchant charges: Can NPCI legally impose fees on businesses?

NPCI says merchant charges are important to sustain UPI, but the Supreme Court will analyse the legal basis of the levy, its validity and its impact on businesses

UPI average daily transaction value crosses ₹1 trillion in October

Festive spending pushed UPI transactions to 25.47 billion, worth ₹31.53 trillion, even as the proposed merchant discount rate remains in focus

Still have 600 mn users left to acquire on UPI: PhonePe chief Sameer Nigam

At the BFSI Insight Summit 2026, PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam outlined plans to take UPI to a billion Indians, while questioning market share caps and backing MDR to sustain digital payments

UPI transaction value may drop 10% after Oct 15 MDR rollout: Survey

LocalCircles estimates UPI transaction volumes could fall 4% and value 10% as consumers shift to cards, cash and bank transfers if merchants pass on the MDR

Let's not fritter away UPI gains

The benefits of keeping it free far outweigh the costs

Delhi merchants up in arms, say MDR on UPI could mark return to cash

New UPI charges on high-value merchant payments are raising concerns among Delhi retailers, with some considering a shift towards cash to protect margins

Datanomics: Remittances to India from Aus, Saudi cost double the UN target

India's remittance flows are rising, but high transfer costs and limited UPI links show the need for wider cross-border payment connectivity

RBI backs MDR on large-value UPI transactions, says users will pay no fee

In a post on X, the central bank said the move would help UPI continue to scale and innovate while serving consumers and businesses across the country

From empty wallets to 24.5 bn transactions

The very idea of money is in flux. Digital money is gradually starting to behave like software

UPI completes 10 years as transaction volume jumps nearly 13,000-fold

Annual UPI transaction volume rose from 1.78 crore in FY17 to over 24,162 crore in FY26, while transaction value climbed to around ₹314 lakh crore

Why India's Unified Payments Interface needs reform, and not US pressure

The lesson for New Delhi: Keep peer-to-peer and mom-and-pop transactions free, but let large commercial platforms pay, say, 0.5 per cent

Free for users, costly to run: The economics behind India's UPI system

UPI remains free for consumers and merchants, but the cost of running India's digital payment infrastructure has revived the debate over MDR, subsidies and platform fees

Is free UPI viable? Pricing vital for digital public infra's future

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

UPI to remain free for consumers, govt clarifies proposed MDR rules

The government reiterated that UPI will remain free for citizens, with no charges on everyday transactions for consumers

Sustained investment needed to run UPI reliably: Payments Council of India

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

Digital payments need a sustainable funding model for future growth

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

Offline payment push: Innovation must include stronger consumer protection

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

Soon, tap & pay offline via UPI: To work where internet isn't available

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

Banks live on UPI rise nearly fivefold to 731 between 2020 and 2026

UPI added 576 banks over six years as digital payments adoption widened, helping the platform process 22.71 billion transactions in June 2026

611 million UPI transactions authenticated using biometrics in June

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