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For a typical domestic UPI payment debited from a bank account, NPCI says there is no transaction charge to the customer or merchant. But “UPI payment” can also mean paying from a wallet or a linked RuPay credit card, and those funding sources can have different merchant-side rules. The key is to identify the source of funds before deciding who may pay a fee.
Which UPI payments are free?
NPCI’s 29 March 2023 clarification says bank account-to-bank account UPI transactions remain free for customers and merchants. It described more than 99.9% of UPI transactions as bank-account-to-bank-account at that time; that is a dated 2023 figure, not a current transaction-volume estimate. NPCI’s clarification states that the interchange charges introduced apply only to PPI merchant transactions, not ordinary bank-account UPI payments.
This free-payment statement applies to the usual domestic transfer from one bank account to another. It should not be generalized to every payment made through a UPI app: a wallet balance or linked RuPay credit card is a different funding source.
Who may pay, depending on the funding source?
| UPI funding source | Customer charge | Merchant-side rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bank account | NPCI says the ordinary bank-account UPI transaction is free to the customer. | NPCI says bank-account UPI merchant transactions remain free. |
| PPI wallet | NPCI says customers are not charged for making PPI-on-UPI payments or receiving them. | Interchange may apply to PPI merchant transactions. The reviewed official material does not establish a comprehensive current rate schedule. |
| Linked RuPay credit card | The reviewed sources do not establish a separate UPI transaction fee to the customer; card billing, interest and issuer terms are separate matters to check with the card issuer. | RuPay credit-card-on-UPI has distinct merchant rules. NPCI’s 4 October 2022 circular specifies nil MDR for a defined small offline merchant category on transactions up to and including ₹2,000; the circular may be supplemented or superseded. |
NPCI’s UPI FAQ says customers pay no charge for PPI-on-UPI transactions and no charge to receive PPI-on-UPI payments. The FAQ’s customer protections do not mean every merchant-side acceptance arrangement is identical.
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What MDR and interchange mean
MDR is a merchant-side acceptance charge
MDR means merchant discount rate: a charge associated with a merchant accepting a payment. It is not automatically a fee the customer pays for using UPI. The Reserve Bank of India’s report records the Government’s direction that MDR should not be collected for prescribed UPI and RuPay debit-card modes from 1 January 2020. NPCI’s later clarification says ordinary bank-account UPI payments remain free for both customers and merchants. RBI’s report
PPI interchange applies to a different payment path
A PPI is a prepaid payment instrument, such as a wallet. NPCI says interchange charges apply only to PPI merchant transactions and are not charged to customers. This is a merchant-side distinction, not a reason to describe wallet payments as a customer UPI fee. No comprehensive current PPI interchange rate schedule is established in the cited official material, so a percentage or rupee amount should not be assumed. NPCI’s 2023 statement
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RuPay credit-card-on-UPI has its own merchant rules
NPCI’s operating circular for the initial phase of RuPay credit cards linked to UPI describes interchange charges and reimbursement to PSP and app providers. It also specifies nil MDR for a defined small offline merchant category for transactions up to and including ₹2,000. That exception is limited to the circular’s merchant classification and transaction threshold; it is not a general price rule for all UPI payments. Check the latest applicable rules before relying on detailed merchant pricing. NPCI’s operating circular
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NPCI says a merchant should partner with an acquiring bank, which provides the UPI infrastructure. After payment confirmation, funds are received immediately into the merchant pool or bank account according to the merchant’s agreement. That agreement is the place to confirm the business’s own settlement and service terms; official sources cited here do not establish one universal provider fee or identical conditions across acquiring arrangements. NPCI’s UPI FAQ
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- Identify whether the transaction is funded by a bank account, PPI wallet or linked RuPay credit card.
- Check the merchant’s acquiring-bank agreement for the arrangement’s specific terms.
- For RuPay credit-card transactions, verify merchant classification, amount threshold and current rules rather than applying the small-offline-merchant exception to every sale.
NPCI says RuPay credit cards linked to UPI are used for merchant QR payments, and that this functionality does not support P2P, P2PM or cash withdrawals. NPCI’s UPI product overview
Why older UPI fee tables may look different
Some pages cite an August 2019 NPCI MDR announcement that described rates effective 1 October 2019. Those figures are historical, not a safe description of today’s ordinary bank-account UPI price. The later policy direction recorded by RBI and NPCI’s 2023 clarification distinguish free bank-account UPI transactions from merchant-side rules for other funding sources. NPCI’s 2019 announcement RBI’s report
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International use and other possible charges
The official material cited here does not provide a comprehensive current schedule for every bank, app, merchant acquirer, international conversion or account-related charge. For an individual provider or cross-border use case, check its current terms and the currency and country involved. NPCI’s international acceptance information tells users to review the final amount, exchange rate or applicable fees; it does not establish a single general international UPI fee. NPCI’s UPI International page
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What to do if a payment is stuck or disputed
- Customer: If payment confirmation has not arrived within an hour, NPCI advises contacting the customer’s bank.
- Merchant: Contact the acquiring bank to check transaction status or raise a grievance.
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