Will UPI be free forever?

Currently, UPI transactions from one bank account to another remain free for customers and merchants. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has clarified that there are no charges for standard bank-to-bank UPI payments. While an interchange fee was introduced for certain merchant transactions made via Prepaid Payment Instruments (wallets) exceeding ₹2,000, this does not affect regular users. Any future decision regarding UPI pricing would be governed by the RBI and the Government of India, considering its status as a digital public good.