{
  "id": 6183275,
  "title": "‘It has to be absorbed by the business’: Why Indian merchants are wary of instant payment fees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/it-has-to-be-absorbed-by-the-business-why-indian-merchants-are-wary",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-07T22:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/it-has-be-absorbed-business-why-indian-merchants-are-wary-instant-payment-fees-6367101"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indian businesses are expressing concern over the possibility of paying fees for certain real-time UPI transactions, as a recent change to India’s payments law could allow banks and payment companies to charge merchants. UPI, India’s real-time payment system, has seen a significant rise in usage, with many customers now preferring to scan QR codes and make payments through their phones, as opposed to the cash-heavy transactions of a decade ago. This shift has brought about cost advantages for businesses, with UPI payments often resulting in lower transaction fees compared to credit or debit card payments. However, the introduction of potential fees for UPI transactions could drastically impact smaller businesses with thin profit margins. Industry experts suggest that even a modest 0.5% fee could pose a significant burden on restaurant owners, who already contend with high operating costs. While some experts argue that a fee of around 0.1 to 0.2% may be manageable, larger payments and the costs associated with maintaining UPI’s reliability and security warrant a reevaluation of the fee structure.",
  "summary": "A change to India’s payments law means merchants could be charged a fee for certain real-time payments. Businesses and experts tell CNA that even modest fees could squeeze profits.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}