New Delhi - The Government of India has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) free for citizens while ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s digital payments ecosystem.
Launched in 2016-17, UPI has transformed India’s digital economy, emerging as one of the world’s most inclusive and dynamic payment systems. The platform has now become the world’s largest real-time payment system, processing a record 2,366 crore transactions worth ₹29.9 lakh crore in July 2026 alone.
The government said UPI is a national innovation built by Indians and for Indians and has been promoted and supported by the government for nearly a decade. UPI is currently operational in 11 foreign countries, while several other nations have expressed interest in adopting the system.
The government also highlighted the need to make the UPI ecosystem self-sustainable and affordable as digital payments expand into rural and semi-urban areas. An amendment to the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act has been described as a forward-looking step to strengthen the ecosystem.
The government clarified that UPI transactions by citizens will remain free. Any future Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), if introduced, would be nominal and applicable only to a limited category of merchant transactions.
Citizens have been advised to rely only on official information from the Ministry of Finance, RBI and NPCI and avoid forwarding unverified messages.
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