Here’s a concise, practical summary of payment‑gateway fees in India (figures and examples are current as of Sept 10, 2025 — rates vary by provider and can be negotiated for high volumes).

What the fees usually include

• Transaction / merchant discount rate (MDR): the percentage taken on each successful transaction (split between gateway, acquiring bank, card network and issuing bank).
• Platform / gateway fee: the gateway’s cut for the checkout, dashboard, SDKs, etc.
• Other possible charges: setup fee, annual maintenance (AMC), instant‑settlement fees, refund/chargeback fees, foreign‑exchange / cross‑border markup, and GST (usually 18% on the gateway fee). (enkash.com, razorpay.com)

Typical fee ranges by payment method (benchmarks)

• UPI: typically 0% up to ~0.25–0.30% for some high‑value/merchant cases (many gateways still treat UPI as the cheapest channel). (enkash.com, cashfree.com)
• Domestic debit cards (RuPay/other): ~0.4%–0.9% (depends on card type and bank). (enkash.com)
• Domestic credit cards: ~1.5%–2.5% (credit cards usually cost more than debit). (enkash.com)
• International / cross‑border cards: commonly ~2.9%–4.5% (includes currency conversion or cross‑border markups). (cashfree.com, enkash.com)
• Wallets / BNPL / EMI: often higher — wallet fees ~1.5%–3% and EMI / BNPL can be 2.5%–5% depending on the partner. (enkash.com)

Examples from major Indian gateways (illustrative — check provider site for current contract terms)

• Razorpay: shows a standard starting platform fee around 2% on most domestic transactions (GST extra); international cards higher (~3%). Larger merchants can negotiate. (razorpay.com, statrys.com)
• Cashfree: public pricing shows platform/TDR starting in the ~1.95%–2.20% range for many channels; international cards start ~2.95% and there are no setup fees for standard plans (some annual maintenance options noted). (cashfree.com)
• Instamojo: commonly lists ~2% + ₹3/txn (domestic) on many plans; convenience‑fee options let merchants pass costs to customers. (instamojo.com)
• CCAvenue: publishes platform fees and higher card rates for some card types (example shown: 2% platform fee, higher percent for some card categories and multi‑currency). CCAvenue also lists certain annual software/maintenance charges for some plans. (ccavenue.com)

Regulatory / industry context

• UPI fees and who bears cost are under active discussion in India; policymakers, RBI and industry players have debated introducing an MDR for some UPI merchant transactions (various proposals and comments appeared in 2024–2025). At the same time, government statements in 2025 reiterated that ordinary UPI transactions remain free for merchants for now — policy can change, so watch official announcements. (reuters.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com)

Practical tips for merchants

• Match gateway to your transaction mix: UPI‑heavy businesses should prioritize providers with the lowest UPI handling costs and fast settlements; international sales need gateways with transparent FX and cross‑border pricing. (enkash.com)
• Ask about all line items: platform fee, acquiring bank fees, cross‑border markup, refund/chargeback fees, settlement speed fees (T+1 / same‑day / instant), and any minimum monthly/annual charges. (cashfree.com, ccavenue.com)
• Negotiate: most providers offer volume discounts once monthly processing crosses thresholds (e.g., >₹5 lakh+). (razorpay.com)
• Consider total cost of ownership: a slightly higher % but faster settlement or better dispute handling can be cheaper operationally than the lowest headline rate.

If you want, I can:

• build a quick side‑by‑side comparison (2–4 providers) using your expected monthly volume and payment mix (UPI vs cards vs international) and show estimated monthly costs, or
• fetch the current exact pricing pages/terms for 3 specific gateways you care about.

(If you want that comparison, tell me which gateways and your monthly volume/payment mix and I’ll calculate.)