Restricted access | Chapter | First published June 30, 2026 | Part of Exploring Grassroot Realties: Insights From Student Led Community Research

10. Digital Payment Adoption among Small Vendors: A Community-Based Field Study

Satyam Thakur, Mr. Sharad Sharma

Exploring Grassroot Realties: Insights From Student Led Community Research

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on investigating the uptake of digital payments by small shopkeepers and street vendors in a semi-urban local marketplace located in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. In this research, the descriptive survey study used a community-level approach, utilizing 30 vendors as participants for documenting the awareness, patterns of usage, perceived advantages, trust in the system, and barriers to usage of UPIs. The study found that all 30 vendors accepted digital payments, the most popular payment system being Paytm (100%); Google Pay (80%); and PhonePe (60%). The most reported advantages were faster transactions (100%); time savings (80%); and increased customer satisfaction (60%). Of the respondents surveyed, 60% felt that using digital payments was simple, however, 40% had an existing concern about trust and fraud and were unlikely to use if there was a network failure. The remaining 30% of respondents used both UPI and cash to pay for goods and services, with equal shares for both payment methods. The findings are contextualized within data from household surveys, government digitalization initiatives (Digital India, PM SVANidhi, ONDC), and theoretical frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model, the UTAUT, and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. It is concluded that, while there is a very high degree of digital penetration, to deepen the digital integration of these vendors in the informal marketplace, they require ongoing training, the improvement of infrastructure, and awareness of government developed programmes and that will be a key factor for improving their business.
Keywords

UPI adoption digital payments informal markets street vendors financial inclusion digitalization

Chapter information

Chapter title Digital Payment Adoption among Small Vendors: A Community-Based Field Study
Author(s) Satyam Thakur, Mr. Sharad Sharma
Book title Exploring Grassroot Realties: Insights From Student Led Community Research
Editor(s) Dr. Rajashree Sharma Adhikary, Dr. Mukta Martolia
Publication date June 30, 2026
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How to cite

Satyam Thakur, Mr. Sharad Sharma. 2026. Digital Payment Adoption among Small Vendors: A Community-Based Field Study. In: Dr. Rajashree Sharma Adhikary, Dr. Mukta Martolia (eds). Exploring Grassroot Realties: Insights From Student Led Community Research.

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