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For most small, low-value sales, UPI remains the lowest-cost acceptance method for Indian merchants. However, “UPI is free” will no longer describe every transaction if the announced Ministry of Finance framework takes effect as scheduled on October 15, 2026. The Department of Financial Services FAQ dated September 15, 2026 sets a 0.4% MDR for specified direct UPI account-to-merchant (P2M) payments above ₹2,000, with a ₹300 cap when the transaction is ₹75,000 or more. The same FAQ compares debit-card MDR at up to 0.90% and typical credit-card MDR at 1.5%–2.5%.
Those are benchmarks, not a universal quotation. Your real cost depends on merchant category, card type, transaction size, exemptions, flat charges, gateway or terminal fees, and settlement terms. Compare the complete acquiring schedule—not just the percentage—to find the cheapest method for your sales mix.
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The short answer
As of the supplied information timestamp, October 13, 2026, the revised UPI schedule is announced but not yet effective. Under the September 15 Ministry FAQ, transactions up to ₹2,000 remain free of MDR; specified standard UPI P2M transactions above that amount will carry 0.4% MDR from October 15, capped at ₹300 for a transaction of ₹75,000 or more. Qualifying small P2PM merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh per month through UPI QR codes are described as having zero MDR. Named sectors have separate rates.
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What merchant discount rate (MDR) means
MDR is the merchant-side cost of accepting a digital payment. It is normally calculated as a percentage of the transaction value, although some categories use a flat amount or a percentage cap. The fee is distributed among participants in the payment ecosystem, such as the acquiring bank, issuing bank, card or payment network and other service providers under their agreements. The September 2026 Ministry release says MDR is not a tax collected by the Government or NPCI.
A merchant’s statement may show more than MDR. Payment-gateway, terminal, QR-device, software, fraud-monitoring, chargeback, settlement or monthly account fees can be billed separately. A payment method with a lower headline MDR can therefore have a higher all-in cost if its fixed or service charges are larger.
Published comparison for Indian merchants
| Payment method | Published benchmark or announced rate | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|
| UPI, direct bank-account P2M | 0.4% above ₹2,000; capped at ₹300 for transactions of ₹75,000 or more | Announced in the Department of Financial Services FAQ dated September 15, 2026, with an effective date of October 15, 2026. Transactions up to ₹2,000 remain free of MDR. |
| UPI, named essential sectors | ₹5 flat MDR above ₹2,000 | The FAQ lists railways, telecommunications, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs among the named categories. The merchant must confirm its assigned category. |
| UPI, capital-market transactions | 0.02%, capped at ₹300 | A special category in the FAQ rather than the standard P2M schedule. |
| Debit card | Up to 0.90% | A maximum comparison benchmark in the Ministry FAQ. The applicable rate still depends on the merchant and acceptance category and the acquirer’s schedule. |
| Credit card | Typically 1.5%–2.5% | A typical range quoted by the Ministry FAQ, not a universal cap or guaranteed merchant quote. |
RBI’s rules require acquiring banks to make card pricing understandable. Its September 1, 2016 circular says banks should “ensure that MDR are clearly unbundled for different categories of cards” and should “educate the merchants regarding the charges associated with different categories of cards, at the time of acquisition.” Debit, credit and prepaid card arrangements are to be covered by separate agreements or annexes.
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How the announced UPI framework works
Standard direct UPI P2M payments
The 0.4% rate applies to the specified direct account-to-merchant UPI category above ₹2,000 under the announced schedule. It is not a blanket statement that every UPI payment above ₹2,000 will cost 0.4%; the FAQ also identifies merchant classifications and special sectors.
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The ₹2,000 threshold
Transactions at or below ₹2,000 remain free of MDR under the FAQ. The Department of Financial Services says more than 95% of UPI P2M volume is at or below this threshold. This volume statistic is different from the Ministry of Finance release’s estimate that approximately 96% of P2M transactions will remain unaffected because they are below the threshold or covered by small-merchant protections.
The high-value cap
For a standard transaction of ₹75,000 or more, the announced 0.4% calculation is capped at ₹300. The cap changes the economics of large tickets because the percentage would otherwise continue rising with the transaction value.
Named sector rates
The FAQ lists a ₹5 flat MDR above ₹2,000 for specified essential sectors, including railways, telecommunications, insurance, fuel and agricultural inputs. Capital-market transactions are listed at 0.02%, capped at ₹300. A merchant should verify the category assigned by its acquiring bank before applying either special rate.
Qualifying P2PM merchants
The FAQ describes zero MDR for qualifying P2PM merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh per month through UPI QR codes. “P2PM” is a classification, not a label every small business can apply to itself. Ask the acquirer how it determines eligibility, measures the monthly limit, and treats transactions after the limit is reached.
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Official examples
The Ministry FAQ gives three examples for the announced standard rate: a ₹3,000 payment produces ₹12 MDR; ₹50,000 produces ₹200; and a ₹1,00,000 payment is limited to ₹300 instead of the uncapped ₹400 calculation. These examples describe the framework scheduled for October 15, 2026, not a rate already in force on October 13.
Debit-card costs: a capped benchmark, not one price
The Ministry comparison places debit-card MDR at up to 0.90%. “Up to” matters: it describes a ceiling in the comparison, not the rate that every merchant, card category or channel will pay. RBI’s historical debit-card structure differentiated merchant and acceptance categories, so an online transaction, a physical terminal transaction and different merchant classifications may not share the same schedule.
Request the acquirer’s current debit schedule for every card category you accept. Confirm whether the quoted percentage includes taxes, terminal or gateway charges, and whether a flat minimum applies to low-value payments. A debit rate that appears higher than zero-MDR UPI can still be competitive for customers who prefer cards if it improves conversion or average order value; that commercial effect is separate from the fee calculation.
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Credit-card costs: usually highest, and especially contract-dependent
The FAQ gives a typical credit-card MDR range of 1.5%–2.5%. Treat it as a market comparison, not a mandated tariff. RBI’s public database response says it has not issued instructions on the levy of credit-card transaction charges. The final rate is negotiated through the merchant’s acquiring arrangement and varies by card category, merchant risk, online or in-person acceptance, transaction size and other contract terms.
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Credit cards can also introduce costs that do not appear in the percentage alone, such as terminal rental, gateway fees, chargeback handling or special-card-category pricing. Ask for those items in writing and check whether settlement timing differs from UPI or debit-card settlement.
Worked cost examples
The following calculations use only the published benchmarks and the announced standard UPI schedule. They show MDR before any separately billed service, terminal, gateway or settlement charges.
| Transaction value | Standard UPI under announced schedule | Debit card at 0.90% benchmark | Credit card at 1.5%–2.5% typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹1,000 | ₹0 MDR because the payment is at or below ₹2,000 | Up to ₹9 | ₹15–₹25 |
| ₹3,000 | ₹12 | Up to ₹27 | ₹45–₹75 |
| ₹50,000 | ₹200 | Up to ₹450 | ₹750–₹1,250 |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹300 because the announced cap applies | Up to ₹900 | ₹1,500–₹2,500 |
The debit and credit columns apply the published comparison figures mechanically; an acquirer may quote less, and separate charges can change the effective result. The UPI column assumes the transaction is in the standard direct P2M category rather than a qualifying P2PM or special-sector category.
How to compare your own acquiring offers
- Separate payment types. List direct bank-account UPI, credit-linked UPI, debit card and credit card as different products. The announced amendment concerns direct account-to-merchant payments; credit-linked UPI follows separate credit-product rules in the FAQ.
- Record your merchant classification. Note whether you are standard P2M, qualifying P2PM, an essential-sector merchant or a capital-market merchant. Ask the acquirer to state the classification in the offer.
- Map your ticket sizes. Count transactions at or below ₹2,000, those above ₹2,000, and any standard UPI tickets of ₹75,000 or more. A single average ticket can hide the effect of the UPI cap and exemptions.
- Request an unbundled fee sheet. For each debit and credit category, obtain the MDR, any flat fee, minimum fee, cap, gateway or terminal charge, monthly fee, settlement fee and applicable taxes. RBI’s unbundling requirement gives you a basis for asking for this detail.
- Apply the schedule to actual volumes. Multiply each category’s rate by the number and value of your transactions, then add recurring and per-transaction service charges. Do not compare a capped UPI amount with an uncapped card percentage without using the same ticket values.
- Check operational terms. Compare settlement timing, refund handling, chargeback liability, fraud tools, reconciliation reports and account-support terms. These do not change MDR, but they affect the cost and cash-flow value of acceptance.
- Recheck after October 15, 2026. Because the UPI change is announced for that date, verify the first statements issued after implementation and confirm that the category, cap and exemptions were applied as promised.
Who pays UPI MDR?
Under the Ministry FAQ, the announced UPI MDR is a merchant-side acceptance cost. Consumers will not pay it, and merchants cannot pass that UPI MDR on to buyers. The September 15 Ministry release says banks have been advised to ensure merchants do not add the charge to customer bills.
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This statement is specific to UPI under the described framework. Do not assume it settles the rules for card surcharges. Any proposed card fee must be checked against the applicable card-network, acquiring and legal terms before it is displayed to customers.
Does the rate apply to RuPay credit cards linked to UPI?
No single standard-UPl assumption answers that question. The FAQ distinguishes direct bank-account UPI from credit-linked UPI and says the latter follows separate credit-product rules. Ask your acquirer which MDR and other charges apply when a customer pays through a credit card linked to UPI, and obtain the answer by card and transaction category.
What the 2026 statistics do—and do not—prove
- Approximately 96% unaffected: The Ministry of Finance’s September 15, 2026 release says approximately 96% of P2M transactions will remain unaffected because they are below the threshold or covered by small-merchant zero-MDR protections.
- More than 95% at or below ₹2,000: The Department of Financial Services FAQ uses this separate volume measure for UPI P2M transactions. It does not mean exactly the same thing as the 96% unaffected estimate.
- ₹20,000 crore annual operating cost: The FAQ attributes this figure to industry estimates covering items such as server bandwidth, fraud prevention and bank technical support. It is not presented as an independently audited total.
These figures describe the policy rationale and transaction distribution; they do not predict the rate in a particular merchant’s contract.
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- Calling all UPI free forever. That ignores the announced October 15 framework and the special categories.
- Applying 0.4% to every UPI payment above ₹2,000. Qualifying P2PM merchants and named sectors have different treatment.
- Treating 1.5%–2.5% as a credit-card tariff. It is a typical benchmark, while the contract and merchant category determine the actual rate.
- Comparing MDR without fixed charges. Gateway, device, service and settlement fees can materially change the effective cost.
- Using one average ticket. The ₹2,000 exemption and ₹75,000 UPI cap make the distribution of transaction values important.
- Passing UPI MDR to customers. The Ministry says merchants cannot do this under the described framework.
- Ignoring card-category detail. RBI specifically requires card MDR to be unbundled by category, so a single blended card rate may conceal different prices.
Questions to put to your bank or payment acquirer
- What exact merchant classification has been assigned to my business?
- Is my UPI acceptance direct account-to-merchant P2M, credit-linked UPI, or both?
- Do I qualify for the P2PM zero-MDR treatment, and how is the ₹1 lakh monthly condition measured?
- Which UPI special-sector rate, if any, applies to my merchant code?
- For debit and credit cards, what is the MDR for each card category and acceptance channel?
- Are there flat fees, minimum fees, caps, gateway charges, terminal or QR-device rentals, monthly fees, taxes or settlement charges?
- When will the October 15 UPI changes appear on statements, and how will refunds and reversals be shown?
- What are the settlement timelines and chargeback responsibilities for each payment type?
Bottom line for merchants
For low-value transactions, UPI is generally cheapest because payments up to ₹2,000 remain at zero MDR under the announced framework, and qualifying small P2PM merchants may also receive zero-MDR treatment. Above that threshold, standard UPI’s announced 0.4% rate and ₹300 high-value cap are still below the Ministry’s debit and credit comparison benchmarks for many ticket sizes. Debit cards may cost up to 0.90%, while credit cards commonly fall in the 1.5%–2.5% range.
The financially correct choice is the one with the lowest all-in cost for your own categories and sales mix. Obtain an unbundled offer, apply it to real transaction values, include every recurring or per-transaction charge, and verify implementation after October 15, 2026.
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