New Delhi: The Union Finance Ministry has rejected allegations that India faced pressure from foreign countries in connection with changes to charges on UPI-based digital payments.
The clarification came after the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued a notification on levying fees on merchant transactions received through UPI. As per the announcement, merchants receiving payments above Rs 2,000 will be charged 0.4%, with the fee capped at Rs 300 even for transactions of Rs 75,000 or more.
NPCI also said transactions in essential sectors such as railways, telecommunications and fuel will attract a flat fee of Rs 5. For UPI transactions linked to stock market trading, a fee of 0.02% has been specified.
The Congress and other parties had alleged that the move was driven by foreign pressure, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claiming it would benefit card service providers. In its statement, the Finance Ministry said such claims are incorrect and that UPI policy decisions are taken independently with the aim of building a self-reliant, inclusive and affordable digital payments ecosystem.
