Bengaluru: In a digital age where cashless transactions are becoming the norm, a tea stall in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district, Karnataka, has gone viral for refusing digital payments. A poster stuck on the wall of the modest eatery bluntly reads: “No Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BharatPe — there’s no ‘pay’ here. Pay cash for bonda, pay cash for tea, pay cash for anything. No credit. Only cash accepted.”

This striking message has caught the attention of social media users across platforms, especially as it comes amid increased action by the Commercial Tax Department. Small business owners, including bakery and tea shop vendors, have reportedly received tax notices for high-volume transactions conducted via UPI (Unified Payments Interface), prompting many to revert to cash-only dealings. The viral image, shared widely on social media with captions like “Seen at a local canteen in Sagar,” highlights a growing sentiment among small traders who feel targeted by recent tax scrutiny. Many users commented on the irony of promoting digital India while penalizing those embracing it. One user wrote, “This is the voice of the nation,” while another noted, “This crackdown benefits only large e-commerce platforms, not small vendors.”

Others criticized the poster’s stance, calling it tax evasion in disguise. “Salaried workers pay taxes on every rupee — why should small business owners escape it by refusing UPI?” one user questioned. As the debate over digital payments and taxation intensifies, this modest tea stall’s message has sparked a nationwide conversation on fairness, compliance, and the cost of going digital.