NPCI has introduced aninterchange fee of up to 1.1%on UPI transactions done via prepaid payment instruments, leaving UPI users confused aboutits implications.
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Interchange fee
Interchange fee is the amountpaid to wallet issuers to cover the costs of accepting, processing, and authorizing transactions.
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UPI fees vary widely
Interchange fees vary from 0.5%to 1.1% depending on the merchant, with food shops, retail outlets, and contractors attracting the highest fee.
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No charges
Normal UPI transactions will not be charged, including peer-to-peer and peer-to-merchant transactions. The government has maintained UPI is for the public good.
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Onus is on the merchant
The merchant or payment provider will pay the interchange fee for UPI payments made via wallet, not the users.