# Govt bans UPI charges up to Rs 2,000, NPCI to decide next steps 2026-09-15T02:37:39+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The central government has barred banks and payment providers from charging any fee on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000, citing Section 10A of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007. The finance ministry said the order applies to both UPI and RuPay debit card payments, and dismissed reports of external influence as baseless. The notification issued on September 14 does not impose new charges on transactions above Rs 2,000, but has revived debate about a possible Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select large merchant payments. Former BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover argued on social media that UPI charges would amount to a tax, pointing to RBI's Rs 2.87 lakh crore surplus transfer to the government and listed banks' Rs 4.11 lakh crore profit as evidence the ecosystem does not need fees. NPCI is expected to issue detailed operational guidelines on MDR, which will clarify the next steps for any future charges. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both sources report the same government order barring charges on UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000. Aajtak.in frames this as a straightforward government directive, leading with the finance ministry's legal basis under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act. Bazaar.businesstoday.in, however, leads with BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover's criticism, who calls any potential fee a disguised tax, and highlights bank profitability figures to question the need for charges. The key difference is framing: Aajtak.in presents the government's defensive stance, while the other foregrounds opposition and profit data. The balanced reading is that no new charges apply now, but the debate over future merchant fees remains unsettled. The next concrete step is NPCI's expected operational guidelines on MDR, which will determine if and how any costs shift. ## Coverage - aajtak.in (pro government) Leads with government order and legal basis, downplaying speculation about external influence - bazaar.businesstoday.in (government critical) Leads with critic's view questioning charges, presenting bank profit data to challenge official rationale Tags: Finance Ministry, Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007, RBI, UPI Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-bans-charges-on-upi-payments-up-to-rs-2000/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-bans-charges-on-upi-payments-up-to-rs-2000/#story-in-brief