Pune traders to join ‘No UPI Day’ protest on October 2

The charge will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, while small merchants with monthly UPI QR-code transactions of up to Rs 1 lakh will remain exempt. (Image generated using AI)The Poona Merchants Chamber has announced that it will join the ‘No UPI Day’ protest on Friday, October 2, and appealed to traders and business owners across Pune to avoid accepting UPI payments that day. Speaking to The Indian Express, Chamber president Rajendra Bathia said the protest was aimed at pressing the traders’ demand for withdrawal of the proposed Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on specified UPI transactions above Rs 2,000. 4 per cent MDR will apply to specified person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000. The charge will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above, while small merchants with monthly UPI QR-code transactions of up to Rs 1 lakh will remain exempt. “We are paying GST, and now this additional UPI charge would be an added burden for traders. It is important for us to raise our voice together so that the government takes note of the issues faced by traders. I appeal to traders in Pune to take part by not using UPI on October 2,” Bathia said. He said the Chamber had decided to join the protest in support of trader associations that have raised concerns over the proposed MDR. “The Chamber has decided to join the movement in support of the stand taken by various traders’ associations across the country,” he said. According to a press release issued by the Chamber, traders’ associations will continue to pursue the matter with the government. The Chamber has also asked its members and city-based traders’ associations to inform their members about the protest and encourage them to participate.