Bhopal’s ‘No UPI Day’ Draws Mixed Response As Traders Keep Accepting Digital Payments

Bhopal: The "No UPI Day" protest, organized by the Akhil Bhartiya Udhyog Vyapar Mandal, aimed to voice opposition to the government's decision to impose a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 since October 15. Despite the call, many traders in the city chose to accept UPI payments.

Owners of various shops, including Hind Opticians, jewelry stores, and garment outlets, stated that they continued to accept digital payments as they did not want to turn away customers who were no longer carrying cash. Some shops even covered their QR codes and sound boxes with black cloth to protest the decision.

However, not all traders followed the call. For instance, Abhishek Jain, who runs a men's wear outlet in the Old City, decided not to accept UPI payments for transactions above Rs 2,000 after October 15. This decision came after he claimed that 250 shops in the Chowk area were also refusing UPI payments.

The protest was mainly led by owners of big showrooms selling goods worth several lakh a day. Jay Agarwal, owner of Agrawal jewelry shop in Chowk, said they may not insist on cash payments until October 14, and the government might roll back its decision. Shashank Jain, a seller of ladies garments in New Market, called the 0.4% MDR on UPI transactions "immoral" and argued that the Rs 2,000 limit is too low.