📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Anupams123
Business
Indore merchants ditch QR codes, revert to cash over proposed UPI surcharge
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 06:31 PM
👁 13
Shop owners in Indore, led by Ahilya Chambers of Commerce, have removed QR codes from their premises and will accept only cash to protest a proposed surcharge on UPI transactions.
Indore’s retail community has taken a decisive step against a government proposal to levy a surcharge on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. The move, spearheaded by the Ahilya Chambers of Commerce, involves removing QR code stickers from shop fronts and refusing digital payments until the issue is resolved.
Shop owners said they will temporarily revert to cash-only transactions, citing concerns that the additional fee could erode profit margins and burden consumers. The decision affects a broad range of establishments, from small kiosks to larger retail outlets across the city.
To raise public awareness, the merchants have launched a five‑day outreach campaign, distributing flyers and using local media to explain their stance. The campaign aims to pressure authorities to withdraw the surcharge proposal and preserve the cost‑free nature of UPI payments for both sellers and buyers.
Local officials have not yet commented on the merchants’ actions, and the situation remains under close watch as the proposed policy is slated for discussion in upcoming state finance meetings.
Shop owners said they will temporarily revert to cash-only transactions, citing concerns that the additional fee could erode profit margins and burden consumers. The decision affects a broad range of establishments, from small kiosks to larger retail outlets across the city.
To raise public awareness, the merchants have launched a five‑day outreach campaign, distributing flyers and using local media to explain their stance. The campaign aims to pressure authorities to withdraw the surcharge proposal and preserve the cost‑free nature of UPI payments for both sellers and buyers.
Local officials have not yet commented on the merchants’ actions, and the situation remains under close watch as the proposed policy is slated for discussion in upcoming state finance meetings.