Madhya Pradesh Traders Observe ‘No UPI Day’: Shopkeepers In Bhopal, Indore Reject Payments Above ₹2,000 Over MDR Charge | VIDEO

· Free Press Journal

MP No UPI Day: Traders across Madhya Pradesh observed ‘No UPI Day’ on Wednesday, refusing to accept UPI payments above ₹2,000 in protest against the proposed 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charge on digital transactions. Traders in Bhopal, Indore and other cities covered their UPI QR scanners with black cloth and held symbolic protests against the proposed charge.

The protest was called by the Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal Madhya Pradesh. Trader organisations clarified that participation was voluntary and no shopkeeper would be forced to join the campaign.

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Traders Raise Concern Over MDR Burden

Madhya Pradesh Vyapar Mandal state general secretary Anupam Agrawal said the proposed UPI MDR charge would increase the financial burden on traders. He said a maximum charge of up to ₹300 could be imposed on eligible transactions.

Agrawal claimed that if a trader receives 10 transactions above ₹2,000 in a day, the additional cost could become a major expense. He said wholesale businesses, especially grocery traders, would be affected as a large number of their daily transactions are above the threshold.

Giving an example, Agrawal said he himself deals in wholesale oil trading and even a 15-litre oil jar costs around ₹2,200. He said traders would have to bear the MDR cost whenever customers make payments through UPI.

Indore Traders Observe No UPI Day Campaign

In Indore, over 100 trader organisations participated in the No UPI Day protest called by the Ahilya Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. Traders avoided UPI payments and covered QR scanners with black cloth to oppose the proposed MDR charge on UPI transactions above ₹2,000.

Ahilya Chamber president Ramesh Khandelwal said the move would increase the burden on traders operating on low margins and affect ease of doing business.

The Indore Retail Garments Association conducted an awareness campaign through posters, call centres and social media to encourage participation. Association president Akshay Jain clarified that the protest was not against UPI but against additional merchant charges that could increase operational costs for retailers.

Earlier, over 150 traders had participated in a protest at Regal Square under the leadership of the Tiles and Sanitary Ware Traders Association, raising slogans against UPI charges.

No UPI Day In Indore As Traders Protest Proposed Merchant Charges

Bhopal, Petrol Pumps Join Opposition

In Bhopal, traders covered UPI scanners with black cloth and avoided accepting payments above ₹2,000 as part of the statewide protest.

The Madhya Pradesh Petrol Pump Dealers Association has also opposed the move and announced that petrol pumps across the state will not accept UPI payments above ₹2,000 from October 16. The association represents around 4,700 petrol pumps in Madhya Pradesh.

The proposed rule will come into effect from October 15, under which a 0.4% MDR will apply on person-to-merchant UPI transactions above ₹2,000. For transactions of ₹75,000 and above, the charge will be capped at ₹300.

Trader organisations said they support digital payments but want the government to reconsider the proposed MDR framework, claiming it could increase costs for businesses and consumers.

UPI Fees: Petrol Pumps Refuse To Accept UPI Payments Above ₹2K Across Madhya Pradesh Owing To 'Thin Margins'

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