Sustaining engagement with digital finance: mobile payment adoption among marginalized women street vendors in an emerging market

Abstract

This study investigates the factors influencing sustained engagement with QR code mobile payment systems (QRMPS) among marginalized women street vendors in India. Drawing on the Meta UTAUT model and Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), the research examines how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, personal innovativeness, perceived trust, and convenience influence user attitudes and satisfaction, which in turn drive sustained usage. The study uses a cross-sectional design and analyzes responses from 566 participants using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results reveals that performance and effort expectancy significantly enhance user satisfaction. At the same time, personal innovativeness, perceived trust, and convenience are key drivers of long-term usage. The findings underscore the potential of QR payment technologies not just as transactional tools but as instruments for financial inclusion and empowerment, facilitating the integration of marginalized women into the digital economy. This study offers unique insights by focusing on an underrepresented demographic and applying a robust theoretical integration, contributing to the growing body of literature on digital financial inclusion. Practical implications include actionable recommendations for policymakers, financial institutions, and technology providers to: (1) develop icon-based and multilingual interfaces tailored to low-literacy users; (2) implement localized digital literacy training through NGOs and women-led self-help groups; (3) establish grievance redressal systems with bilingual support; and (4) ensure offline QR code payment functionality for areas with poor connectivity.