Detailed explainers on UPI merchant charges, exemptions, small-merchant rules, special categories and the 2026 MDR framework. The homepage keeps the main rate table and calculator; these guides examine individual questions in depth.
The 15 October rollout did not take effect. See what NPCI changed, what remains the same and what merchants should wait for next.
Read moreNo official NPCI update names January 2027. Here is the current post-Diwali status and why an unofficial date should not be treated as final.
Read moreNPCI says the decision was taken keeping the festive season in mind. This guide separates that official reason from speculation.
Read moreA common search question with a misleading premise: the framework uses merchant and transaction categories rather than a lowest-MDR bank ranking.
Read moreWho bears the new UPI MDR? It is a merchant-side payment cost, while consumers should not face an extra UPI transaction charge.
Read moreThe policy rationale behind UPI MDR: sustaining infrastructure, cybersecurity and innovation while keeping most transactions outside the charge.
Read moreCan UPI apps add their own platform fee? The framework distinguishes merchant MDR from consumer-facing app charges and keeps UPI payments free for users.
Read moreA focused guide to the ₹300 maximum MDR, the ₹75,000 cap point and worked examples for higher-value qualifying P2M payments.
Read moreThe payment amount is only part of the answer. P2M, P2PM and special merchant sectors can have different MDR treatment for the same transaction value.
Read moreThe ₹1 lakh threshold is monthly, and the official transition rule looks for three consecutive months above it rather than one isolated spike.
Read moreInsurance premiums use a special flat-fee MDR structure above ₹2,000 rather than the standard 0.4% regular-P2M calculation.
Read moreElectricity, water and piped natural gas have a special flat ₹5 MDR above ₹2,000, so the standard 0.4% formula should not be applied automatically.
Read moreA detailed guide to the main zero-MDR cases, including P2P, qualifying P2PM small merchants, payments up to ₹2,000 and UPI mandates.
Read moreGST registration is not the P2PM eligibility test. Zero-MDR treatment depends on the small-merchant threshold and account categorisation.
Read moreRural location alone does not decide MDR. The key issue is whether the merchant qualifies under the P2PM small-merchant zero-MDR framework.
Read moreConsumers do not get a monthly quota of free UPI payments. Daily operational limits are separate from the merchant MDR framework.
Read moreSelf-transfers are P2P, not merchant payments. The ₹2,000 merchant threshold does not turn a transfer between your own accounts into an MDR transaction.
Read moreCovered railway payments use a special ₹5 flat MDR above ₹2,000, showing why merchant category matters before applying the standard 0.4% rate.
Read moreEducation is a special MDR category, but the official FAQ does not provide one universal rate above ₹2,000, so the article avoids inventing a number.
Read moreMDR is not a government or NPCI tax. The official clarification describes it as a merchant-side payment charge within the UPI ecosystem.
Read more₹2,000 is a merchant MDR threshold, not a daily UPI spending limit. Daily limits are separate security and risk-management controls.
Read moreAbove ₹2,000 does not automatically mean 0.4% MDR. Small-merchant exemptions and special categories can change the applicable charge.
Read moreThe Government estimated that about 96% of P2M transactions would remain unaffected, showing how narrowly the MDR framework is targeted.
Read moreCompare the official UPI baseline with debit and credit card merchant charges and understand why the payment methods use different MDR structures.
Read moreHow the separate 0.02% capital-market MDR works for covered mutual funds, securities, stockbrokers and dealers, including the ₹300 cap.
Read moreP2M means Person-to-Merchant in UPI. Learn how P2M differs from P2P and why the distinction matters under the 2026 MDR framework.
Read moreA practical explanation of the UPI MDR calculation, including the 0.4% baseline, worked examples and the ₹300 maximum for qualifying P2M payments.
Read moreNPCI deferred the 15 October rollout until immediately after Diwali. The exact revised implementation date has not yet been notified.
Read moreCredit-linked UPI payments operate under separate credit-product rules rather than the 0.4% account-based UPI MDR framework.
Read moreThe existing QR infrastructure continues under the framework; merchants do not need a new QR stand or soundbox solely because of MDR.
Read moreHow the P2PM small-merchant exemption, ₹1 lakh monthly threshold and three-consecutive-month transition rule affect local shops.
Read moreHow the special flat ₹5 MDR works for specified merchant categories above ₹2,000 and why the standard 0.4% rate does not always apply.
Read moreAn explainer on GST and MDR, including why tax treatment should be distinguished from the underlying UPI merchant-charge framework.
Read moreRuPay credit cards linked to UPI operate under separate credit-product rules rather than the direct account-to-merchant 0.4% framework.
Read moreWhy merchants should not pass the MDR to buyers as an extra UPI charge and what the customer-facing rule says.
Read moreUPI Mandates and AutoPay recurring standing instructions do not carry the prescribed MDR transaction charges under the framework.
Read moreA look at the payment ecosystem supported by MDR and the roles of banks, apps and other participants without assuming an unsupported fixed split.
Read moreThe new 0.4% MDR rollout was deferred before 15 October. See the current status and how the ₹2,000 threshold works once implementation begins.
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