From Free UPI to Airport Lounge Food: Here’s How Banks and Govt Cover the Costs

UPI is the primary facility for payments, ranging from small daily transactions to large tasks. Your mobile operator, National Payment Corporation of India i.e. NPCI and banks join it. Banks and NPCI have to spend a lot on the technology of UPI. Still UPI is free. On the other hand, banks charge a fee if there is no minimum deposit in the account. In such a situation, the cost of UPI is covered by the government through a subsidy. But in exchange for this, your data reaches those payment companies where you have not shared it.

If you have a credit card, you can eat free food in Adani Lounge at major airports. In some cases, you have to pay one rupee and in other cases, you have to pay nothing. At airports where a cup of tea costs Rs 150-200, getting food for free is a surprising thing. Customers are not paying for the food, yet the lounge access provider is making a good profit.

Airport lounges have become a business model. Banks provide funds for this and passengers take advantage of it. The facilities available in most lounges include buffet food and beverages, WiFi and charging points. Some even have showers, spas and sleeping pods. Then the question is who pays for all this. The answer is that your bank or card network is paying on your behalf.