India's digital payments landscape is rapidly transforming, with more individuals adopting digital transactions due to advancements in payment infrastructure. One of the key drivers of this shift is the widespread use of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) applications, which facilitate real-time transfers, support e-commerce, and enable smooth merchant payments. This study explores user satisfaction with UPI apps, focusing on spending behavior, user preferences, and the influence of gender and regional differences. Primary data was gathered from 183 respondents across rural and urban settings, using a structured quantitative research design. Various statistical tools, including T-tests, Chi-square tests, and ANOVA, were employed to identify differences and relationships in UPI usage patterns among diverse user groups.
The findings indicate that Google Pay (GPay) emerges as the most widely used UPI application, with consistent preference across both genders and regional locations. However, a significant difference was observed in average monthly transaction amounts, with male users showing higher spending levels compared to female users. Despite this, demographic factors like gender and region had minimal impact on overall app preference. More crucially, user satisfaction was found to depend on functional factors such as ease of use, transaction speed, perceived security, and app features rather than personal characteristics. These results suggest that service quality is a more important driver of satisfaction than user demographics. The study offers valuable insights for fintech companies and policymakers by emphasizing the need to improve app security, interface quality, and usability to promote broader digital adoption and financial inclusion in India.