NEW DELHI, Aug 5: Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions above ₹2,000 could attract a merchant discount rate (MDR) in the future under proposed legal changes, with RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra saying that “someone has to pay the cost” of maintaining the rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. According to sources, high-value UPI transactions above ₹2,000 made to large businesses could be among the first categories to attract MDR if the proposal is implemented. Estimates suggest transactions above the ₹2,000 threshold could account for around five per cent of all UPI transactions but represent nearly 65 per cent of their total value. Routine low-value payments, including purchases of milk, vegetables and groceries and payments for auto-rickshaws and taxis, are not expected to be covered. UPI recorded 23.66 billion transactions worth around ₹29.9 lakh crore in July, according to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).