Opinion: The problem with a threshold-based MDR

Synopsis

The ongoing discussions around UPI pricing are shifting towards ensuring system financing while still promoting widespread adoption. Consumers will enjoy fee-free transactions, and person-to-person payments will continue to incur no charges. A new suggested cap on merchant transactions aims to boost payment splitting. However, this practice raises processing volumes yet fails to generate essential revenue for the system. It is crucial to remove arbitrary thresholds to facilitate economic growth.

By Kavya Vohra and Shubhashis GangopadhyayThe debate around UPI pricing is no longer simply about whether it should remain free. It’s a a more difficult question: how should a system processing billions of real-time payments be financed without weakening adoption? The government's latest clarification tries to shed light on that.Consumers will not face transaction charges, person-to-person (P2P) UPI transactions will remain free, and if MDR is
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