Now Reading: Study finds India’s lower-middle-class shifting bill payments offline
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Study finds India’s lower-middle-class shifting bill payments offline
Study finds India’s lower-middle-class shifting bill payments offline
A new study by Home Credit India, The Great Indian Wallet 4.0 2026, reveals a significant shift among India's lower-middle-class consumers towards offline transactions for certain everyday payments. The share of respondents…
A new study by Home Credit India, The Great Indian Wallet 4.0 2026, reveals a significant shift among India's lower-middle-class consumers towards offline transactions for certain everyday payments. The share of respondents preferring to pay bills offline rose to 59% in 2026 from 43% in 2025, while online preference fell to 39% from 54%.
Food transactions also moved offline, with preference for dine-in and takeaway rising to 73% from 59%. Bus and train ticket bookings saw a similar trend, with offline preference rising to 72% from 58%. However, retail payments are now evenly split at 49% each for online and offline, and loan-taking continues to shift gradually towards digital, with 51% preferring online.
The study surveyed individuals aged 18 to 55 years with an average monthly income of Rs 35,000. The findings suggest that while consumers are not rejecting digital, they are becoming more selective, with the preferred channel increasingly depending on the type of transaction.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The study captures a nuanced moment in India's digital payments story, where UPI volumes have surged but the user base is now broadening beyond early adopters. For lower-middle-class households, offline bill payments may offer greater control over cash flow and avoid platform-specific charges or data costs. The reversal in bill payments is notable because this category had been seen as a digital adoption gateway. The Reserve Bank of India's 2025 data on digital payment volumes showed steady growth, but that aggregate figure masks such category-level shifts. Watch for the next round of RBI household surveys or NPCI data on UPI usage by transaction type to confirm whether this pattern is a seasonal blip or a lasting trend.
Source: livemint.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
