Payments Council of India

New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): The Payments Council of India (PCI) has issued a statement clarifying that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions will continue to be completely free for everyday consumers and that small businesses, including local kirana stores, will not face any payment acceptance charges. The clarification comes amid ongoing discussions regarding the long-term sustainability of the payment infrastructure and the potential introduction of merchant charges for select commercial categories. PCI reaffirmed that UPI was originally engineered to make digital transactions accessible to micro-enterprises, and safeguarding small merchants remains central to maintaining inclusive growth across the digital economy. Addressing concerns…