The Economic Times

FM Nirmala Sitharaman rejects UPI MDR 'misconception,' says charge won't be passed to consumers

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed that the Merchant Discount Rate on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 will not be passed to consumers. This rate is a charge borne by merchants and not the government. Sitharaman emphasized that this charge is not a tax, cess, or surcharge. The rate is set at 0.4% and will impact only certain UPI transactions.