26 September,2026 02:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
CAIT denies calling a NO UPI day on October 2. Representational pic
Trader's body the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Saturday dismissed media reports of a nationwide 'No UPI Day' on October 2 calling it misleading and false.
"There have been reports circulating on social media suggesting that CAIT has called for a nationwide "No UPI Day" on 2nd October. We want to clarify that these reports are completely misleading and false. CAIT has not given any such call," the trade body said in a social media post on X.
"CAIT has consistently supported the growth of UPI and India's digital payments revolution. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to strengthen India's digital payment ecosystem and empower our traders in the digital age," it added.
According to certain media reports, traders had called for a nationwide No UPI day on October 2 to protest against the introduction of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15.
CAIT categorically clarified that no decision, resolution or official announcement has been made by the organisation regarding any 'No UPI Day' observance on 2nd October.
It is pertinent to note that some trade organisations and regional bodies may have independently announced programmes or protests concerning the MDR issue, CAIT stated in a statement according to news agency ANI.
Such initiatives are entirely their own decisions and must not be linked with or attributed to CAIT in any manner, it added.
CAIT said that it remains committed to safeguarding the interests of traders while simultaneously supporting the growth, sustainability and security of India's digital payments ecosystem.
The government had introduced 0.4 per cent charge on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments above Rs 2,000 to merchants and capped the fee at Rs 300 for payments of Rs 75,000 and above, from October 15, thus ending nearly six years of fully free UPI payments.
The government has clarified that transactions up to Rs 2,000 continue to have zero MDR and therefore zero GST impact.
"Person-to-Person transfers are always free, regardless of amount. Vendors earning up to Rs 1 lakh per month via UPI QR codes continue to enjoy zero charges. Over 95 per cent of merchant payments are below Rs 2,000, these remain free," the Finance Ministry had said on September 16.
The government had pointed out that only merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 would attract a nominal fee of 0.4 per cent, which would be borne by merchants, noting that it is far lower than credit card charges or other network charges.
On the introduction of MDR, Retailers Association of India had said the extra burden might prompt smaller traders to shift to cash.
With presence in over 11 countries including Uzbekistan, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Greece, UPI has transformed India's digital payments landscape.
In terms of transaction value, it has soared from Rs 0.07 lakh crore in FY17 to around Rs 314 lakh crore in FY26, registering a more than 4,000-fold increase over the decade.
(With inputs from ANI)
