What do payment gateways charge in India?

The short answer

Indian payment gateways charge about 2% per domestic transaction on their standard plans in 2026: Razorpay prices cards, netbanking and wallets at 2% + 18% GST with Rs. 0 setup and Rs. 0 AMC, and Cashfree's standard fee is 1.95%. Corporate cards and international cards cost 3% + GST on Razorpay; Cashfree charges 2.99% on international Visa and Mastercard. GST applies to the fee, not the transaction amount.

Standard plans for domestic cards, netbanking and wallets sit at 1.95% to 2%. At Razorpay, corporate cards, Amex, EMI and international cards cost 3% plus GST. New-merchant offers can make the first months free, and negotiated rates at high volume are lower and not published.

The figures side by side

How we got this number

1. Read each gateway's own published pricing (Razorpay's pricing page and its pricing explainer, Cashfree's charges page), not comparison blogs.
2. Compare like with like: standard plan, domestic cards, netbanking and wallets.
3. Add 18% GST on the fee to get the real cost; at 2%, that is 2.36% of the transaction.

What this number does not tell you

• UPI carries zero MDR, but Razorpay applies its 2% platform fee + 18% GST to UPI too; check your contract.
• Offers change often: Razorpay waives the platform fee on domestic payments for new merchants activated on or after 1 July 2026, up to ₹5 lakh of payments or 90 days; Cashfree runs a festive offer for new merchants.
• High-volume merchants negotiate lower rates that are not published.

Sources

1. Razorpay: Razorpay payment gateway pricing explained, 13 February 2026, updated 11 October 2026Most domestic payment gateways are priced at 2% + 18% GST, including Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Netbanking, and Wallets. UPI carries zero MDR by RBI mandate; Razorpay applies a 2% platform fee + 18% GST for gateway infrastructure. Premium payment methods: EMI, Corporate Cards, Amex/Diners, Pay Later, and certain premium methods are typically 3% + GST. International payments: International cards are 3% + GST … GST applies only to the platform fee, not the full transaction amount. … New merchants who complete KYC and activate their Razorpay account on or after 1 July 2026 are eligible for zero platform fees on domestic payments, up to ₹5 lakh in cumulative GMV or 90 days from activation, whichever comes first.
2. Razorpay pricing page, read 23 October 2026 — the page shows no date• Setup: ₹0 • Maintenance: ₹0 … There are zero setup fees and zero Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC). The commercial model is strictly pay-as-you-go, you pay only the 2% transaction fee on successful payments.
3. Cashfree payment gateway charges, 2026 (festive offer till 31-Mar-27)standard Cashfree platform fees of 1.95% + applicable taxes will apply automatically for all transactions. … International Cards VISA Mastercard Platform fee 2.99% … American Express Platform fee 2.95%

Worked out by us: 2.36% (2% fee plus 18% GST on that fee).

Questions people ask

What is the payment gateway charge in India?

About 2% per domestic transaction on standard plans, plus 18% GST on the fee: 2.36% all in.

Do payment gateways charge for UPI in India?

UPI has zero MDR by rule, but gateways may still charge a platform fee; Razorpay applies 2% + 18% GST to UPI on the standard plan.

Read next

• Razorpay vs Cashfree vs Stripe
• Juspay vs Razorpay vs Cashfree
• Razorpay review
• How many people use UPI in India?
• How many credit cards are there in India?
• How many demat accounts are there in India?
• What is insurance penetration in India?
• All India numbers

This is a best guess, not an official statistic. We recheck it quarterly. If you have a newer or better source, send it to us.