A printed UPI QR code is the simplest way for a shop or small seller in India to accept digital payments. Customers scan it with any UPI app (BHIM, Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm or their bank's app), enter the amount and their UPI PIN, and the money reaches your bank account within seconds. There is no card machine to rent and no cash to count.
This guide covers how to get a QR code, how to print and display it, how to confirm that a payment has really arrived, the scams shopkeepers should watch for, and the new UPI fee rules that start on 15 October 2026.
How a UPI QR payment works
Your QR code is simply your UPI ID (also called a VPA, like yourname@okicici or 98xxxxxx10@ybl) written in a format that phone cameras can read. When a customer scans it:
- Their UPI app reads your UPI ID and shows your name.
- They enter the amount, unless your QR code already has a fixed amount, and confirm with their UPI PIN.
- The money moves from their bank account to yours, and both of you get a notification.
UPI QR codes work with every UPI app, so a code shown on a PhonePe or Google Pay sticker can be scanned by any other UPI app, and vice versa.
Business QR or your own QR?
There are two common ways to get a QR code.
1. A business (merchant) QR from a UPI app or your bank
Most UPI apps and banks offer free business accounts for shops. You register your shop, complete their verification, and receive a printed QR sticker in your shop's name. Business accounts usually include payment history and settlement reports, and many offer optional payment alert speakers ("soundboxes") that announce each payment aloud.
Best for: regular shops with daily sales. If you run a shop, this is the recommended long-term option.
2. Your own QR code made from your UPI ID
You can turn any UPI ID into a QR code yourself in a few seconds with a free tool like our UPI QR Code Generator. Payments go straight to the bank account linked to that UPI ID.
Best for: freelancers, tutors, home businesses, temporary stalls at events and fairs, collecting fees or donations, and anyone who needs a QR code right now without registering for a business account.
If your sales grow, move to a business account. Banks and apps have their own policies on personal accounts that receive large numbers of business payments, so check with yours.
Create your own UPI QR code, step by step
- Find your UPI ID. Open the UPI app you use and look in your profile or bank account settings for "UPI ID". If you have several, choose the one linked to the bank account where you want to receive money.
- Open the UPI QR Code Generator and enter your UPI ID and payee name. Use the same name as your bank account. Customers' apps usually show the name registered with your bank, and a mismatch makes people hesitate.
- Leave the amount empty for a shop counter, so customers can type any amount. Enter a fixed amount only for items with one set price (see below).
- Add an optional note, such as your shop name or "Tuition fee". It appears with the payment and helps you identify it later.
- Generate and download the QR code image. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so your UPI ID is not sent to any server.
- Test it before printing. Scan it with two different UPI apps and check that your correct name appears. Then ask a friend or family member to pay you ₹1 and confirm the money reaches your account.
Fixed-amount QR codes save time. If you sell something at one price, such as ₹10 tea, ₹20 parking or a ₹100 entry ticket, make a separate QR code with that amount. Customers scan, and the amount is already filled in, so there are no typing mistakes. Keep an open-amount QR code at the counter for everything else.
Printing and displaying your QR code
- Print it big enough. A common rule of thumb is that a QR code should be at least one-tenth as wide as the distance it is scanned from. For a counter where customers stand about a metre away, print it at least 10 cm wide.
- Black on white, with a margin. Keep the white border around the code and do not crop it. Avoid coloured backgrounds and glossy paper that reflects light.
- Add clear text under the code: your name or shop name, your UPI ID, and a line such as "Scan & pay with any UPI app. Check the name before paying".
- Laminate it and fix it firmly where customers can reach it, at counter or eye level, away from direct sunlight and glare.
- Keep a spare copy in case the displayed one gets damaged.
Always confirm the payment yourself
The most important habit for any shopkeeper: never hand over goods based on the customer's phone screen. A "payment successful" screen can be faked, and a screenshot can be old or edited. Instead, confirm on your side:
- Check the notification in your UPI app or your bank's SMS alert, and match the amount and time.
- At a busy counter, a payment alert speaker announces each payment aloud, so you do not need to keep checking your phone.
- At the end of the day, match your UPI payment history with your sales.
If a customer insists they have paid but nothing has arrived, ask for the transaction's UTR or reference number and check it in your app before accepting it.
Scams every shopkeeper should know
- "Scan this to receive money." You never need to scan a QR code or enter your UPI PIN to receive money. The PIN is only for money going out. Anyone asking you to enter your PIN "to get paid" or "to get a refund" is trying to take money from you.
- Payment requests. A fraudster may send a "collect" request that looks like an incoming payment. Approving it with your PIN sends them your money.
- Swapped QR stickers. Fraudsters sometimes paste their own QR code over a shop's code, so customers' payments go to them. Scan your own displayed code every morning to check that it still shows your name, and fix it where it cannot easily be covered.
- "I sent extra by mistake." A caller claims they sent you too much and asks you to return the difference. Check your bank statement yourself before sending anything back. Often no money was ever sent.
- Fake customer care numbers. If you have a problem, use the help section inside your UPI app or your bank's official website. Do not use numbers found in search results or messages.
If you are cheated: call the national cyber fraud helpline 1930 immediately, report it at cybercrime.gov.in, and inform your bank. Keep the transaction ID, screenshots and messages as evidence. Acting quickly gives the best chance of the money being frozen before it is withdrawn.
UPI fees and limits from 15 October 2026
Until now, accepting UPI payments has been free for merchants. A new framework announced in September 2026 changes this for some payments from 15 October 2026:
| Payment type | Fee (MDR) |
|---|---|
| Merchant payments up to ₹2,000 | Free |
| Merchant payments above ₹2,000 | 0.4%, paid by the merchant (maximum ₹300) |
| Small merchants in the P2PM category, receiving up to ₹1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes | Free on all payments |
| Person-to-person transfers | Free |
- Customers pay nothing. The fee (the merchant discount rate, or MDR) is charged to the merchant, and banks have advised merchants not to add a UPI surcharge to customer bills.
- Most small shops are unaffected. According to the government, about 96% of merchant payments are either ₹2,000 or less or covered by the small-merchant exemption.
- Check your category. The exemption applies to small merchants in the "person-to-person merchant" (P2PM) category, so ask your payment app or bank which category your QR code is in. Small merchants who receive more than ₹1 lakh a month for three months in a row move to the standard merchant category.
- Some sectors have a separate rate. Railways, telecom, insurance and fuel are charged a flat ₹5 on payments above ₹2,000 instead of 0.4%.
The new fee is being challenged in court and the details may change, so check the current position with your bank or payment app. For most payments, the standard UPI limit is ₹1 lakh per transaction. Higher limits apply to some categories, such as insurance and capital markets, and only for verified merchants. Banks may set lower limits of their own.
When a payment fails
Sometimes a customer's account is debited but the payment does not reach you. The Reserve Bank of India sets deadlines for automatic refunds in such cases:
- Payment to a merchant (debited, but the merchant did not receive it): the money must be reversed to the customer within 5 days of the transaction date.
- Person-to-person transfer that was not credited: reversal within 1 day after the transaction date.
- If a bank misses the deadline, it must pay the customer ₹100 per day of delay.
So if the money has not reached you, do not hand over the goods. Ask the customer to pay again by another method, or wait for the automatic reversal. Customers can raise a complaint from the transaction in their UPI app.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to accept UPI payments?
For most small sellers, yes. Payments up to ₹2,000 are free, and small merchants in the P2PM category receiving up to ₹1 lakh a month through UPI QR codes pay no fee at all. From 15 October 2026, standard merchants pay 0.4% (capped at ₹300) on payments above ₹2,000.
Do printed UPI QR codes expire?
No. A printed (static) QR code keeps working as long as the UPI ID and the bank account behind it stay active.
What is the difference between a static and a dynamic QR code?
A static QR code is the same every time, like a printed sticker. A dynamic QR code is generated fresh for each bill by a billing machine or app, with the exact amount and a bill reference built in. Small shops usually start with a static code.
Can a customer pay me from a different UPI app than mine?
Yes. UPI works across all apps and banks, so it does not matter which app you or your customer use.
Should I keep the QR code on my phone instead of printing it?
Showing it on your phone works for occasional payments, but a printed code at the counter is faster for busy times. Your phone stays free to check that each payment has arrived.
Fee rules are as reported from the NPCI circular and the Finance Ministry FAQ of September 2026. Refund timelines are from the RBI's harmonised turnaround time rules for failed transactions. Information is current as of 12 October 2026. Payment rules change often, so confirm with your bank or UPI app.