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UPI stays free for users, but merchant fees are still on the table
Finance·Short term·▼ -1%

The Finance Ministry will keep repeating that UPI P2P transfers stay free while refining the threshold and scope for any merchant MDR, with banks and payment firms pushing for clarity in the near term.

UPI pricing is a core policy issue because it affects consumer behavior, merchant margins and the economics of India’s digital payments stack. Any shift from free transfers to selective merchant charges would be politically sensitive and commercially significant.

AI reasoning

UPI pricing is a core policy issue because it affects consumer behavior, merchant margins and the economics of India’s digital payments stack. Any shift from free transfers to selective merchant charges would be politically sensitive and commercially significant.

Curated summary

The Finance Ministry said UPI person-to-person payments will remain free, even as debate continues over whether merchant transactions could eventually attract MDR. The clarification follows the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which changed the Payment and Settlement Systems Act and triggered concern over possible charges on UPI and RuPay debit card payments. The government says any future fee would be limited, threshold-based and below card MDR levels.

Supporting evidence

Source news

UPI stays free for users, but merchant fees are still on the table

The Finance Ministry is trying to calm fee fears after Parliament changed the payments law, while leaving room for limited MDR on some merchant transactions.

Indian Express·1h ago
Read full article at Indian Express

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