Maintaining Interaction with Digital Finance: Acceptance of Mobile Payments by Marginalized Women Street Vendors in a Developing Market

Abstract

This study looks into what influences underprivileged women street vendors in India's continued use of QR code mobile payment systems (QRMPS). Based on the Meta UTAUT model and Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), the study looks at how user attitudes and satisfaction are influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, personal innovativeness, perceived trust, and convenience. These factors ultimately lead to sustained usage. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to examine responses from 566 individuals in this cross-sectional study. The findings show that user happiness is greatly increased by performance and effort expectancy. Convenience, perceived trust, and individual inventiveness are important factors that influence long-term use. The results highlight how QR payment technologies may be used not only as transactional tools but also as tools for financial empowerment and inclusion, making it easier for marginalized women to participate in the digital economy. By concentrating on an underrepresented group and utilizing a strong theoretical integration, this study adds distinctive insights to the expanding corpus of research on digital financial inclusion. Actionable recommendations for policymakers, financial institutions, and technology providers are included in the practical implications. These include: (1) creating icon-based and multilingual interfaces for low-literacy users; (2) implementing localized digital literacy training through NGOs and women-led self-help groups; (3) establishing grievance redressal systems with bilingual support; and (4) guaranteeing official QR code payment functionality for areas with poor connectivity.