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What explains low adoption of digital payment technologies? Evidence from small-scale merchants in Jaipur, India

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  • Ethan Ligon
  • Badal Malick
  • Ketki Sheth
  • Carly Trachtman

Abstract

The availability of digital payment technologies (such as internet banking, mobile money, and credit/debit cards) has rapidly increased in the developing world, and is a cornerstone for financial inclusion initiatives in developing countries. Despite significant efforts to promote digital payments, rates of adoption remain modest in some low-income countries. In particular, the rate of adoption in India remains low despite significant efforts to promote adoption. In this paper, we consider possible reasons for the low rates of adoption among merchants in Jaipur, India with small fixed-location store enterprises. Using survey data for 1,003 merchants, we find little evidence that supply-side barriers to obtaining necessary infrastructure or meeting prerequisite requirements to adopt digital payments explain the low level of adoption. Merchants are able to obtain infrastructure to transact digitally (such as bank accounts and smart phones), fees on digital platforms are affordable, and merchants are sufficiently literate to be able to use digital payment systems. We conclude that adoption is both feasible and inexpensive. Therefore, low rates of adoption do not appear to be the result of supply-side barriers, but due rather to demand-side factors or taxes. We find direct evidence of such demand-side factors, such as a perceived lack of customers wanting to pay digitally, and concerns that records of mobile payments might increase tax liability. Our results thus suggest that simply lowering the costs associated with adopting these technologies is unlikely to be successful in increasing adoption of digital payments.

Suggested Citation

  • Ethan Ligon & Badal Malick & Ketki Sheth & Carly Trachtman, 2019. "What explains low adoption of digital payment technologies? Evidence from small-scale merchants in Jaipur, India," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0219450
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219450
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anusorn Minphimai, 2024. "Digital Payment, Household Consumption Behavior, and Financial Literacy," PIER Discussion Papers 219, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Prashant Sharma & Saurabh Sharma, 2023. "Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Mobile Payment Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, September.
    3. Ozili Peterson K., 2020. "Comparing Digital Finance in the UK, US, India and Nigeria," Financial Internet Quarterly (formerly e-Finanse), Sciendo, vol. 16(4), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Daniel Możdżyński & Wojciech Cellary, 2022. "Determinants of the Acceptance of Mobile Payment Systems by E-Merchants," Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations (JECO), IGI Global, vol. 20(1), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Eun Young Oh & Shuonan Zhang, 2022. "Informal economy and central bank digital currency," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 60(4), pages 1520-1539, October.
    6. Qing Xu, 2021. "East Asia and East Africa: Different Ways to Digitalize Payments," GREDEG Working Papers 2021-26, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    7. Abhipsa Pal & Rahul De’ & Tejaswini Herath, 2020. "The Role of Mobile Payment Technology in Sustainable and Human-Centric Development: Evidence from the Post-Demonetization Period in India," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 607-631, June.
    8. Rasmi Ranjan Behera & Rajas Saroy & Sarat Dhal, 2023. "Digital Payments in Urban Odisha: Insights from a Primary Survey," Review of Development and Change, , vol. 28(2), pages 141-165, December.
    9. Yi-Xun Pang & Sin-Huei Ng & Wei-Theng Lau, 2022. "Digital Cashless Payments and Economic Growth: Evidence from CPMI Countries," Capital Markets Review, Malaysian Finance Association, vol. 30(2), pages 63-89.
    10. Ahsan, Md Nazmul & Thakur, Sounak, 2024. "The great Indian demonetization and gender gap in health outcomes: Evidence from two Indian states," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    11. Richa N. Agarwal, 2020. "The Role Of Effective Factors In Utaut Model On Behavioral Intention," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 10(3), pages 5-23, September.
    12. Pal, Abhipsa & Herath, Tejaswini & De', Rahul & Raghav Rao, H., 2021. "Why do people use mobile payment technologies and why would they continue? An examination and implications from India," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).

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