RBI, NPCI reportedly weigh 0.4% fee on UPI merchant payments above ₹2,000

RBI and NPCI are reportedly consulting banks and payment firms on a possible 0.4% MDR for UPI merchant payments above ₹2,000. The proposal is not final and has no announced implementation date, but could reshape payment costs for retailers and larger-ticket UPI transactions.

— Source publishedTue, 15 Sept, 2026, 17:50 IST·First seen Tue, 15 Sept, 2026, 19:10 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

RBI and NPCI are consulting banks and payment firms on a possible 0.4% MDR for UPI merchant payments above Rs 2,000. Consumer UPI payments up to Rs 2,000 remain

Key facts

  • 0.4% proposed charge
  • Rs 2,000 threshold
  • Rs 5,000 payment; Rs 20 illustrative fee
  • Rs 10,000 payment; Rs 40 illustrative fee
  • 40% proposed bank revenue share
  • 30% proposed payment-app revenue share
  • 30% proposed payment-aggregator revenue share
  • 24.51 billion UPI transactions in August
  • Rs 29.82 lakh crore UPI transaction value in August
  • Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore estimated annual industry revenue

Why this matters

If implemented, the MDR could increase strategic value for payment orchestration, acquiring, and cost-optimization platforms that help merchants manage higher-ticket UPI acceptance costs.