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Business
Bhopal merchants drape black cloth on UPI scanners to protest proposed MDR fee
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 23 Sep 2026, 03:01 PM
👁 10
Merchants in Bhopal covered UPI payment scanners with a black cloth on Oct 15, demanding the government withdraw the proposed merchant discount rate for transactions above Rs 2,000.
On October 15, shopkeepers in Bhopal placed a black cloth over UPI point‑of‑sale scanners as a symbolic protest against the government's proposed merchant discount rate (MDR) that would levy a fee on transactions exceeding Rs 2,000.
The MDR, announced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is slated to take effect from the same date, but traders argue it will raise costs for small businesses and discourage cashless payments.
Business owners gathered in major market areas, covering the terminals with the cloth and urging authorities to suspend the fee until further consultation. They have called for the MDR proposal to be withdrawn.
State commerce officials said they are monitoring the situation and will review the merchants' concerns, but no official decision on delaying or cancelling the MDR has been announced yet.
The MDR, announced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is slated to take effect from the same date, but traders argue it will raise costs for small businesses and discourage cashless payments.
Business owners gathered in major market areas, covering the terminals with the cloth and urging authorities to suspend the fee until further consultation. They have called for the MDR proposal to be withdrawn.
State commerce officials said they are monitoring the situation and will review the merchants' concerns, but no official decision on delaying or cancelling the MDR has been announced yet.