Mobile Retailers to Stop UPI Payments on October 2, Demand Zero MDR
Ranchi: UPI QR codes could disappear under black cloth at mobile shops across Jharkhand on October 2, as retailers under the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) prepare to observe “NO UPI DAY” in protest against the 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on eligible UPI transactions. The symbolic Gandhi Jayanti protest is aimed at pressing the government to restore Zero MDR for merchant UPI payments.
As part of the protest, participating retailers will temporarily stop accepting UPI payments on Gandhi Jayanti. They will also cover their UPI QR codes with black cloth at their shops to draw attention to their demand for restoration of the zero-MDR system for merchants.
According to AIMRA Jharkhand, mobile retailers frequently handle transactions of more than ₹2,000, making the additional MDR a concern for businesses that generally operate on relatively narrow profit margins.
The association estimates that around 1.5 lakh mobile retailers operate across India and claims that the MDR could collectively result in an additional annual financial burden of nearly ₹500 crore on merchants.
AIMRA Jharkhand State General Secretary Amrit Das said the retailers’ campaign should not be viewed as opposition to UPI or the government’s digital-payment initiatives.
“Mobile retailers have played an important role in expanding digital payments and UPI across the country. Our protest is against the additional MDR burden on merchants, not against UPI or Digital India,” Das said. He added that the association wants the Zero MDR regime for merchant UPI transactions to continue.
The association has appealed to the Central Government, Ministry of Finance and concerned authorities to review the MDR mechanism and consider the financial impact on small and medium-sized retailers.
AIMRA Jharkhand State President Kirit Vora said the October 2 action would remain peaceful and symbolic.
The association has given the campaign the slogan: “Black Cloth on QR — Peaceful Protest Against MDR.”
October 2, 2026 — NO UPI DAY will therefore see participating mobile retailers temporarily replacing their usual QR-enabled payment arrangements with a visible black-cloth protest, while urging the government to reconsider the MDR issue.
