PVR INOX asks to pay using UPI only; customer sends legal notice for refusing to accept cash payment

Ahmedabad advocate Utkarsh Dave has sent a legal notice to PVR INOX Ltd after the multiplex chain refused to accept cash for his movie ticket and refused it at the food counter as well, according to a report by TOI. The advocate says he was left with no option but to pay through UPI when he visited the PVR INOX cinema at Palladium Mall on September 13.

In his notice, Dave has questioned the multiplex chain's "cashless-only" policy and has asked for legal clarification on why customers are being pushed toward UPI alone.

What happened at the PVR INOX counter


According to the notice, Dave went to watch a film at PVR INOX in Palladium Mall on September 13. When he tried to pay in cash for his ticket, and later for food and beverages, staff at the counter refused to accept it. He was told to pay only through UPI instead. The notice makes clear that his objection is not against UPI or card payments being available, but against cash being blocked entirely, leaving customers with no choice at all.

Notice cites RBI Act on legal tender

Dave has cited Section 26(1) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, which states that RBI-issued banknotes are legal tender. The notice argues that a blanket refusal to accept cash at a consumer-facing business raises questions of transparency, fairness and disclosure. It also draws on provisions of the Consumer Protection Act to question whether PVR INOX has ever formally adopted a cashless-only policy at this outlet.

Was the policy disclosed to customers

The notice asks PVR INOX to clarify if such a policy was prominently displayed at the point of sale or communicated to customers in advance. "If PVR INOX has consciously adopted such a restrictive policy, the same ought to be prominently displayed at the relevant points of sale and communicated to consumers in advance. A customer cannot reasonably be expected to discover the existence of such a policy only after reaching the counter and tendering cash," the notice states, as quoted by TOI.

Dave has also asked the company to share copies of any written instructions given to staff directing them not to accept cash.

What about customers with no digital access

The notice raises a separate concern about customers who do not own a smartphone or do not have access to UPI or internet connectivity. Dave has asked PVR INOX to explain what arrangements exist for such customers, and whether they would simply be denied entry to a show despite being willing to pay in cash. "In particular, PVR INOX is required to explain whether such consumers would simply be denied the opportunity to purchase the service despite being ready and willing to make payment in lawful currency," the notice reads, according to TOI.

Seven-day deadline set

Dave has sought a response from PVR INOX within seven days. If the company does not respond within this period, he has stated that he may pursue the matter before a consumer commission and other authorities.

The notice does not challenge the presence of digital payment options at PVR INOX outlets. Its core argument is that cash, being legal tender under Indian law, cannot be refused outright without disclosure, and that consumers should have the freedom to choose how they pay.

Inputs from TOI