{"id":24886,"date":"2026-09-16T07:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T07:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=24886"},"modified":"2026-09-16T07:08:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T07:08:45","slug":"upi-charges-from-october-15-0-4-mdr-on-payments-above-rs-2000-but-flat-rs-5-fee-for-railway-tickets-fuel-insurance-and-utilities-sending-money-to-friends-family-autopay-for-ott-stays-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=24886","title":{"rendered":"UPI charges from October 15: 0.4% MDR on payments above Rs 2,000, but flat Rs 5 fee for railway tickets, fuel, insurance and utilities; sending money to friends, family, Autopay for OTT stays free"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134280303,imgsize-592720,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/upi-mdr.jpg\" alt=\"UPI charges from October 15: 0.4% MDR on payments above Rs 2,000, but flat Rs 5 fee for railway tickets, fuel, insurance and utilities; sending money to friends, family, Autopay for OTT stays free\" title=\"The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost.\">The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Tuesday announced a 0.4% merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, subject to an overall cap of Rs 300.<!-- --> For utility payments, fuel purchases, insurance premiums, rail tickets and several government services, a flat charge of Rs 5 will apply.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost. Cash transactions, meanwhile, also involve expenses, with several banks charging fees for cash deposits.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>The new MDR will take effect from October 15. However, UPI payments between individuals, including transfers made to friends, will continue to remain outside the charge. <!-- -->Auto-debits and UPI mandates will also not attract MDR.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>\u201cBanks have been advised to ensure merchants do not pass MDR charges on to customers. UPI application provide\u00adrs are expressly prohibited fr\u00adom imposing platform fees or hidden charges,\u201d the finance ministry said in a statement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/><span class=\"em\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">If you are still wondering what transactions will be subject to what charge, we break it down for you:<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>UPI Transactions: What Remains Free<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>All Person-to-Person Transactions: UPI transfers made directly between individuals will continue to be completely free, regardless of the amount involved. Individuals will not be charged a transaction fee, platform fee or any other fee for sending or receiving money through UPI. As a result, transactions between individuals, which account for 70% of the total UPI transaction value, will remain outside the MDR framework.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Merchant Payments Up to Rs 2,000: Person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI payments of up to Rs 2,000 will not attract MDR.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Payments Received by Small Merchants: Small merchants, including street vendors, who receive up to Rs 1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes under the Person-to-Person-Merchant (P2PM) category will continue to get zero MDR on all their transactions. <!-- -->This will ensure that street vendors, neighbourhood shops and other small businesses do not face additional costs for accepting digital payments.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Flat MDR for These UPI Transactions:<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Certain merchant categories, including railways, telecom services, insurance and fuel, among others, will attract a flat MDR of Rs 5 for transactions above Rs 2,000. Unlike the 0.4% variable rate, these sectors will pay a fixed Rs 5 per transaction irrespective of the transaction value. <!-- -->So if you are paying for a railway ticket via UPI, it does not attract 0.4% MDR but Rs 5 which again is not borne by you but the merchant.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>The flat-fee structure is intended to prevent transaction costs from rising in critical public services, utility bill collection and low-margin sectors such as fuel retail. It also keeps essential consumer services digitally efficient and low-cost.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Capital Market transactions made through UPI<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>UPI transactions related to the capital market, including payments for mutual funds, securities, stockbrokers and dealers, will attract an MDR of 0.02% of the transaction value, subject to a maximum charge of Rs 300.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>This rate is lower than the standard rates applicable to commercial transactions and is intended to encourage retail participation in the formal financial market.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>The Capital Market MDR category covers regulated entities operating in the capital markets, including Asset Management Companies (Mutual Funds), SEBI-registered stockbrokers, securities dealers and investment platforms.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>The framework applies to UPI fund transfers made for equity purchases, debt market investments, mutual fund purchases and broker wallet top-ups. <!-- -->By placing these transactions in a separate category, capital market payments are distinguished from regular retail purchases and general service payments.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Insurance Premium <\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Insurance premiums paid through UPI are covered under a concessional flat-rate structure. For insurance payments above Rs 2,000, the MDR is fixed at Rs 5 per transaction instead of being calculated as a percentage of the payment amount.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Fuel purchased at petrol pumps<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>UPI payments for fuel purchases above Rs 2,000 at petrol stations will attract a flat MDR of Rs 5. <!-- -->The fixed charge is intended to prevent petrol pump operators from facing higher processing costs on larger fuel purchases.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/>For fuel payments below Rs 2,000, the MDR will remain at 0%.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"54\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Electricity &amp; Water Bills<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Public utility payments, including electricity bills, municipal water charges and piped natural gas payments, fall under the designated Industry program category. For payments above Rs 2,000, a concessional flat MDR of Rs 5 will apply instead of the 0.4% variable rate.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"58\"\/>Utility bill payments below Rs 2,000 will continue to carry zero MDR.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"60\"\/>Recurring auto-debit payments such as utility bills, OTT subscriptions<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>Automated recurring payments made through standing instructions, known as UPI Mandates or AutoPay, do not attract the prescribed MDR transaction charges.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"65\"\/>As a result, recurring payments set up through automated transfers, including monthly utility bills, OTT streaming subscriptions and recurring investments, will not incur the prescribed MDR charge on the transaction.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"68\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Education fees<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Educational fee payments, such as school tuition, university term fees and institutional entrance examination charges, are covered under the designated Industry program category. Payments above Rs 2,000 will benefit from flat-fee structures or capped processing rates, rather than being subjected to high percentage-based charges on larger fee amounts.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"71\"\/>Educational payments up to Rs 2,000 will remain completely free of MDR.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/upi-charges-from-october-15-0-4-mdr-on-payments-above-rs-2000-but-flat-rs-5-fee-for-railway-tickets-fuel-insurance-and-utilities-sending-money-to-friends-family-autopay-for-ott-stays-free\/articleshow\/134280238.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Tuesday announced a 0.4% merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, subject to an overall cap of Rs 300. For utility [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The MDR will have to be borne by merchants. Larger retailers, online platforms and restaurants, among others, may choose to absorb the cost. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Tuesday announced a 0.4% merchant discount rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, subject to an overall cap of Rs 300. For utility [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/upi-mdr.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}