UPI Charges May Change | New MDR Rules Explained | Will Consumers and Merchants Have to Pay More?

India has opened the door to a possible change in the way UPI payments are charged, raising an important question: Will UPI no longer be free? A recent bill removes a legal barrier that currently prevents banks and payment service providers from imposing a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI and certain other digital payments. MDR is essentially a fee paid by merchants to banks or payment processors for processing digital transactions. UPI has traditionally operated under a zero-additional-charge model, allowing merchants to accept payments without directly paying this fee. However, the government has indicated that any MDR introduced would be nominal and limited to certain merchant transactions. Importantly, person-to-person UPI payments are expected to remain free. Routine transactions such as sending money to friends and family are therefore not expected to attract a new UPI fee. Most merchant transactions are also expected to remain free, while large merchants and high-value commercial transactions could potentially face MDR if the new structure is introduced.