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Ahmedabad traders observed a one-day “black day” on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, to oppose a reported merchant discount rate (MDR) on some UPI transactions. Participation was uneven: several Walled City markets visibly joined, while many retailers in western Ahmedabad and most restaurants continued accepting UPI. The reported levy was aimed at eligible merchants, not described as a fee charged directly to every customer; its exact rules still require confirmation from an official circular.
What did Ahmedabad traders do on Oct. 2?
The Shree Amdavad Vepari Maha Sangathan, an umbrella body for trader associations, called the one-day action a “black day” and urged participating businesses to boycott UPI. Ahmedabad Mirror reported that associations representing toys, electronics, mobile retail, plastics, handicrafts and transport took part, along with traders from Revdi Bazar-Kalupur and Tankshal. The paper said the participating bodies collectively represented more than 5,000 old-city members; that is a reported membership figure, not an independently audited count. The Times of India’s Oct. 3 account also described visible participation and a mixed response across the city.
Which Ahmedabad areas joined, and who kept accepting UPI?
Walled City markets
Reports described visible participation in Madhupura grocery market, Relief Road, Gandhi Road and Tankshal. Some traders covered UPI display boards with black cloth, and black armbands were also reported. Meghraj Dodwani, president of Shree Ahmedabad Vepari Mahasangathan, told The Times of India: “Relief Road, Gandhi Road, Tankshal and Madhupura saw traders putting black cloth on UPI boards.” Hiten Shah, president of the Madhupura Association, said more than 500 shops in Madhupura declined UPI that day; this was his association’s account, not a verified citywide tally.
Western retail areas and restaurants
Participation was not uniform across Ahmedabad. Jayendra Tanna, president of the Gujarat Traders’ Federation, told The Times of India: “In the Walled City, many associations took part, but most retail shops in western Ahmedabad opted out.” Restaurants largely continued accepting UPI, according to the report. An NRAI representative said most routine restaurant bills do not cross the reported ₹2,000 threshold.
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These accounts describe differences by location and business type, not a measured citywide participation rate. The available reports do not establish how many Ahmedabad shops in total stopped accepting UPI.
What UPI charge were traders protesting?
News reports described a proposed 0.4% MDR on eligible UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000, with an Oct. 15, 2026 start date. Business Standard also reported a ₹300 cap, no fee on person-to-person (P2P) payments, and an exemption for P2PM small vendors receiving up to ₹1 lakh a month. These terms are reported policy details; the underlying NPCI or Finance Ministry circular was not available in the cited coverage, so the rate, threshold, cap, exemptions and start date should not be treated here as independently confirmed or settled.
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The coverage does not describe one simple rule applying to every payment above ₹2,000. It distinguishes merchant transactions from P2P transfers and separately describes a small-vendor exemption linked to monthly receipts. Eligibility therefore depends on the reported transaction and merchant category; the reports do not establish that every merchant transaction above the threshold would incur the charge. Business Standard and Moneycontrol reported on the proposal and the participation changes before the protest.
Would customers have to pay the reported fee?
The reports framed MDR as a merchant-side cost, not a surcharge imposed directly on every customer using UPI. A PTI report syndicated by Rediff quoted a Finance Ministry statement: “Customers will not have to pay any fee for making such payments through UPI.” The original ministry statement was not included in the cited reporting. Traders’ objection was that an MDR could squeeze already thin business margins; the reports do not establish whether individual shops might respond by changing prices or handling costs in other ways. Rediff’s PTI report covered the government’s customer-fee clarification and traders’ concerns.
Why did some trade groups withdraw while Ahmedabad markets still protested?
Before Oct. 2, the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) and the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) withdrew their planned protest after meeting Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Business Standard reported that the groups sought to defer action until after the festive season, review the threshold, raise the limit to ₹5 lakh, exclude merchant-to-merchant transactions and set up a committee to examine their concerns. The report on the meeting and withdrawal does not mean the local Ahmedabad action was cancelled: other trade bodies and market clusters participated.
Advance participation claims should not be confused with turnout. Before the event, AIMRA estimated an additional MDR burden of ₹40 crore monthly, or nearly ₹500 crore annually, as reported by The Times of India; that was the association’s estimate, not an independently verified cost. The same pre-event coverage attributed projections of 10,000 Gujarat retailers and 1.5 lakh dealers nationwide to AIMRA’s Gujarat chapter president. Those were forecasts, not confirmed participation totals. The Times of India’s Sept. 26 advance report covered those estimates.
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