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Business
Indore Merchants Declare ‘No UPI Day’, Cover Barcode Boxes and Shift to Cash
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 23 Sep 2026, 07:36 AM
👁 11
Around 200 merchants in Indore plan to reject UPI payments on a designated ‘No UPI Day’, covering barcode boxes with black cloth and accepting only cash, even for sales under ₹2,000.
Indore’s small‑scale traders have announced a one‑day boycott of UPI transactions to protest the fees imposed on merchants. On the designated “No UPI Day”, participating shop owners will drape their UPI barcode boxes in black cloth and will refuse to process any digital payment, opting for cash instead, even for transactions below ₹2,000.
The collective action is aimed at drawing attention to the cost burden that the UPI merchant levy places on low‑margin businesses. By turning to cash, the merchants hope to pressure payment service providers and regulators to reconsider the fee structure.
As a symbolic gesture, the traders will also place the covered barcode boxes in a designated area, signalling their willingness to forgo the digital infrastructure if the charges are not addressed. The protest does not involve any disruption to public order; it is limited to voluntary cash‑only sales.
Customers visiting the affected shops are being advised to carry sufficient cash for their purchases. Organisers have not announced a specific date for the demonstration, and local authorities have not issued any official statement as of now.
The collective action is aimed at drawing attention to the cost burden that the UPI merchant levy places on low‑margin businesses. By turning to cash, the merchants hope to pressure payment service providers and regulators to reconsider the fee structure.
As a symbolic gesture, the traders will also place the covered barcode boxes in a designated area, signalling their willingness to forgo the digital infrastructure if the charges are not addressed. The protest does not involve any disruption to public order; it is limited to voluntary cash‑only sales.
Customers visiting the affected shops are being advised to carry sufficient cash for their purchases. Organisers have not announced a specific date for the demonstration, and local authorities have not issued any official statement as of now.