New Delhi, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Friday distanced itself from a proposed nationwide “No UPI Day” on October 2, saying it had neither issued any such call nor supported the initiative.
CAIT said claims circulating across media platforms and social media regarding the proposed protest did not represent its official position. It clarified that no decision, resolution or formal announcement had been made by the organisation to observe October 2 as a “No UPI Day”.
In a statement, CAIT said reports attributing such a call to the traders’ body were “factually wrong” and appeared to have arisen from misinformation or misinterpretation.
The organisation also clarified that initiatives announced independently by some trade organisations and regional bodies over the issue of Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on digital payments should not be attributed to CAIT.
According to CAIT, any such programmes or protests were decisions of the respective organisations, and reports suggesting that the national traders’ body had participated in or endorsed them were erroneous.
The clarification comes amid renewed debate over the cost of digital payments for merchants and the future of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ecosystem.
CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal, who is also a Member of Parliament, urged media organisations to verify information through the organisation’s official channels before publishing or broadcasting statements in its name.
The traders’ body also asked traders and consumers to rely on official communications rather than speculative reports circulating on social media.
At the same time, CAIT reiterated that it remains committed to protecting traders’ interests while supporting the growth, sustainability and security of India’s digital payments ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the government has said in its outreach to traders that MDR will apply to UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, while transactions up to Rs 2,000 will continue to have zero MDR and, consequently, no GST impact from MDR.
Government data cited in the statement indicates that transactions up to Rs 2,000 account for more than 96 per cent of UPI merchant transaction volume. It said the overwhelming majority of UPI payments would therefore not attract MDR or GST on MDR.
The government has also said RuPay cardholders will not be charged anything.
An official said there would be no rethink on the MDR decision, which is scheduled to come into effect from October 15, and that the date would not be extended.
Merchants receiving up to Rs 1 lakh through UPI each month will also not be liable to pay MDR and therefore would not face GST on MDR, the official said, adding that concerns about an additional GST burden on merchants were misplaced.
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