Indore traders plan to remove UPI QR codes if surcharge imposed

Indore traders affiliated with 125 business organisations have decided to remove UPI QR codes from their establishments and shift to cash transactions if the proposed MDR surcharge on UPI transactions above ₹2000 is imposed. The collective decision was taken by the Ahilya Chambers of Commerce and Industries in opposition to any additional charge that increases the cost of doing business.

The traders have said that the decision will be implemented as soon as the surcharge comes into force. They have also made it clear that the move will apply irrespective of the amount or date from which the fee is introduced. On the same day, traders will remove QR codes from their shops and begin accepting payments through cash as part of the collective protest.

The decision was taken at a meeting held on Friday at the hall premises of Abhinav Kala Samaj. The meeting was led by Chambers president Ramesh Khandelwal and general secretary Gopal Das Agrawal. Representatives of the business organisations present at the meeting expressed unity against the proposed surcharge and said the protest would not remain limited to statements.

The traders said any decision that adds to the cost of business cannot be accepted. They maintained that the proposed charge on digital payments would directly affect their financial interests. According to the collective decision, the removal of QR codes and the adoption of cash transactions will be the traders’ response if the surcharge becomes applicable.

Akshay Jain, joint secretary of the Ahilya Chambers and president of the Indore Retail Garments Association, said the traders of Indore had already sent a message across the country through the No UPI Day organised on 23 September. He said the shared decision of 125 business organisations would now give a new direction to the movement against the surcharge.

Jain said traders were already facing challenges such as competition, rising costs and limited profit margins. In this situation, he said, an additional charge on digital payments could affect the traders’ economic interests. He also raised the question of why a trader should use a payment method that requires the trader to bear an additional charge.

The traders said the method through which payments are accepted is linked to their business conditions and costs. They said choosing cash transactions in protest against the surcharge was a collective decision taken by the business community. They also stressed the need for all organisations to remain united on the decision so that the traders’ voice could not be ignored.

To take the decision to the market level, office-bearers of the Chambers will visit different commercial areas of Indore over the next five days. During these visits, traders will be informed about the possible impact of the proposed surcharge and will be mobilised in support of the collective decision.

The message emerging from the meeting was that traders do not want to restrict their protest to memorandums and slogans. If the surcharge is implemented, removing QR codes and shifting to cash transactions will form part of their protest strategy. Chambers office-bearers said the struggle to protect traders’ interests would continue.

Those present at the meeting included Ramesh Khandelwal, Gopal Das Agrawal, Akshay Jain, Govind Agrawal, Narendra Bafna, Rajneesh Chordia, Hardeep Singh, Manish Nigam, Sushil Mehta, Kailash Khandelwal, Manoj Kala, Chandrashekhar Khanna, Basant Soni, Pradeep Jain, Purushottam Sharma Mahendra Jain, along with representatives of various business organisations.