New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- UPI will remain free for consumers, PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said amid growing concern over transaction charges on UPI payments.

Google Pay and Walmart-controlled PhonePe together process over 80 per cent of UPI transactions.

Nigam's clarification comes after the Lok Sabha passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which allows the government to bring back merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on UPI transactions. The move raised questions over whether consumers would eventually be charged for using UPI.

"UPI is and will remain free for all Indian consumers!" Nigam said in an X post. "Consumers will NOT BE CHARGED anything for making UPI payments."

Nigam's comment comes a day after the Payments Coun...