UPI payment service charges news: UPI transactions to remain free, clarifies Finance Ministry

The Finance Ministry on Sunday said United Payments Interface (UPI) is a digital public good and there is no consideration in the government to levy any charges on this.

This statement allays fear emanating from the RBI's discussion paper on charges in the payment system suggesting that UPI payments might be subject to a tiered charge based on various amount brackets.

Currently, there are no charges levied on transactions done through UPI.

"UPI is a digital public good with immense convenience for the public & productivity gains for the economy. There is no consideration in Govt to levy any charges for UPI services. The concerns of the service providers for cost recovery have to be met through other means," the Finance Ministry said in a tweet.

The government has mandated a zero-charge framework for UPI transactions with effect from January 1, 2020. This means that charges in UPI are nil for users and merchants alike.