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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM63281
Volume:
10 |
5 |
May 2026
Pages:
1-6
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Commerce
Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science
Commerce
Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science
Digital payment systems have become central to financial inclusion strategies by lowering transaction costs, improving transparency, and expanding access to formal financial services. Despite the growing availability of digital platforms, adoption among rural and economically disadvantaged communities remains significantly lower than among urban or higher-income populations. This systematic review synthesizes scholarly research published between 2019 and 2024 to identify the socio-economic, behavioural, technological, and infrastructural factors shaping digital payment adoption in underserved contexts. The findings reveal that income limitations, digital literacy gaps, trust deficits, perceived risks, smart phone affordability, usability issues, network constraints, and social influence substantially impact user adoption decisions. Behavioural tendencies such as habit persistence, reliance on cash, and fear of errors further moderate technology acceptance. Integrating insights from Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT/UTAUT2), and financial inclusion theory, this review proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework for understanding adoption barriers and drivers. Managerial implications emphasize the need for user-centric app design, digital literacy interventions, gender-inclusive strategies, robust security measures, and strengthened rural connectivity. The review concludes by outlining research gaps and proposing future directions, including longitudinal analysis, behavioural interventions, and policy evaluation. Overall, this study contributes to the digital finance literature by highlighting the intricate interplay between socio-economic realities and behavioural dynamics in rural digital payment adoption.
KEYWORDS
This systematic review demonstrates that digital payment adoption in rural and financially constrained communities is shaped by interconnected socio-economic, behavioural, technological, and environmental influences. While digital finance offers transformative opportunities, meaningful adoption requires addressing affordability barriers, literacy challenges, trust deficits, and infrastructural limitations. Behavioural aspects—such as perceived risk, habit, and cultural preference for cash—continue to play dominant roles in shaping usage patterns. The conceptual framework developed through this review provides a holistic understanding of the adoption ecosystem and serves as a foundation for future empirical studies. Moving forward, comprehensive efforts combining technological innovation, behavioural interventions, and socio-economic support are essential for accelerating inclusive digital financial participation.
1. Agarwal, R., & Prasad, J. (2019). Social influence and adoption of digital payments in developing economies. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 476–486. 2. Alam, M., & Gupta, R. (2020). Determinants of mobile wallet adoption: Evidence from emerging markets. Telematics and Informatics, 54, Article 101118. 3. Alhassany, H., & Faisal, F. (2021). Trust and perceived risk in digital payment adoption. Electronic Commerce Research, 21(3), 567–589. 4. Bansal, S., & Singh, A. (2022). Digital financial inclusion in rural India: A post-demonetization assessment. Journal of Financial Economic Policy, 14(2), 241–258. 5. Bashir, I., &Madhavaiah, C. (2020). Consumer perception of mobile banking adoption. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 38(7), 1591–1612. 6. Bhuvana, M., &Aithal, P. (2019). UPI and digital payments: A transformative pathway. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, 14(9), 2105–2113. 7. Chawla, D., & Joshi, H. (2020). The moderating effect of demographic factors on mobile wallet adoption. Information Technology & People, 33(5), 1449–1477. 8. Chen, L. (2021). Digital divide and financial inclusion in rural segments. Technology in Society, 64, Article 101118. 9. Davis, F. D. (2019). Revisiting TAM in the digital payment era. MIS Quarterly Review, 43(4), 112–129. 10. Gupta, K., & Arora, N. (2021). Behavioural biases influencing digital payment adoption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(6), 1368–1382.
Publication Date
5/30/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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