Abstract Governments globally are implementing digital public infrastructure (DPI) initiatives to bridge the digital divide and improve access to government services. India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an example of a government initiative in promoting financial inclusion through digital payments. While literature is abundant with discussions on digital payments and their adoption, a noticeable gap exists in understanding the acceptance of UPI among small-scale merchants in India. The study aims to examine the key factors influencing the small-scale merchants’ intention to use and actual use behaviour of UPI payment apps. Employing a mixed-method design, the study collects data from small-scale merchants operating in various socio-economic regions as per the Human Development Index. The study contributes to the literature by examining India’s DPI initiative in digital payments and specifically, UPI payment acceptance by small-scale merchants. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers to optimise DPI initiatives and promote digital inclusion.
Rao et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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