We have all spent years training ourselves to ditch cash.

Scan. Pay. Walk away.

It was that easy, right?

But from October 15, some UPI payments will no longer be completely free.

The government says the fee isn't for you or me; it’s for the merchant.

And it won’t be on every transaction. The new Merchant Discount Rate, or MDR, will apply to merchant payments above Rs 2,000.

We have always been told UPI is free.

So if it was  "free," who was actually paying for the massive machinery behind it?

And now, that machinery is being given a new way to recover its costs - who gets to make money from a payment system that an entire country has spent years building?

Before we start, let me quickly remind you of the price of Independent journalism.

85 grievances, 21 civil cases and 3 criminal cases, across five southern states and Delhi. Yes, that is what TNM faces today. But we are ready to fight every single one of them, as long as you support us throughout. 

We need 200 more new recurring subscribers to help cover those costs. And I hope you will help me and my team bridge that gap. 

So scan this QR code and contribute to our legal fund to help us fight these. In turn, we promise you unbiased, people-first, and fearless journalism.

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