Effect of Social Interaction on the Use of Mobile Payment Apps in Karnataka, India for 16 to 18-year-olds

This study looks at how the rural-urban divide and social influence (a factor that affects behaviour) impact mobile payment app use in 16-18-year-olds after the demonetization in India in 2016. The study uses participants from a Tier 1 city - Bangalore - and a Tier 2 city - Belgaum - both of which are located in Karnataka, India. A comparative quantitative method was used with the help of an online survey. A correlation coefficient was calculated from the data gathered, which helped us to conclude the level of influence one's surroundings may have on the use of mobile payments. In conclusion, it was found that social influence has a positive correlation with the use of mobile payments. However, the influence was not large enough to conclude that social influence is one of the major factors affecting mobile payment app use. Further research could find the correlation coefficient between mobile payment app use and all the other factors (listed in the paper) to find which has the most effect.