Women Avoiding UPI Transactions Due to Fear of Online Fraud

More women in the country are using mobile internet, but many are still hesitant to use UPI for online transactions. They have concerns about safety and fear being cheated. This has limited the number of women using UPI, as revealed by a study from the National Payments Corporation of India Limited and Women’s World Banking.

The Study’s Findings

The study explored women’s digital financial capabilities and their willingness to use UPI. It was conducted in various parts of the country, including Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, Mathura, Ayodhya, and Bandra in Maharashtra. Interviews were held with 15 women running micro, small, and medium industries in Kanpur and Kanpur Dehat, along with 15 women from the non-MSME sector. The study also included discussions with women from different categories in other regions regarding digital payments.

Categories of Women in Digital Payments

The study categorized women into four groups based on their approach to digital payments:

1. Careful Balancers:
   These women are keen on digital payments but fear making mistakes or falling victim to OTP fraud.
2. Explorers:
   This group uses digital payments confidently and regularly enjoys their benefits.
3. Completely Orthodox:
   These women do not trust any digital payment methods. They prefer traditional bank transactions and value cash handling.
4. Neutrals:
   Economically prosperous women in business sectors who are less motivated to use digital payments, despite having the capacity to do so.

UPI Merchant Benefits

The women in the study acknowledged that UPI Merchant is useful and can help increase digital transactions from 10% to 30%. The study involved 2,500 women in micro businesses in urban and semi-urban areas, and it was found that they successfully increased the use of merchants.

Mobile Internet Consumption

Statistics show that mobile internet consumption among women in the country rose to 37% in 2023, up from around 30% in 2022. There are 53.6 crore women above the age of 15 in the country, and 20 crore of them use mobile internet.