Social Media Meets Payments: Decoding Social Media Payment Adoption

India's rapid digital transformation has significantly redefined how individuals conduct transactions, interact, and engage in economic activities. The introduction of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) enabled seamless, real-time digital payments across the country. Building on this advancement, platforms such as WhatsApp Pay, Instagram Pay, and Facebook Pay have embedded payment features within social media applications, leading to the emergence of Social Media Payment Platforms (SMPPs). These platforms integrate communication, commerce, and financial transactions into a single digital ecosystem.

This study represents one of the earliest comprehensive examinations of SMPPs in India. While previous research has mainly focused on UPI applications or international payment platforms, limited attention has been given to SMPPs in the Indian context. The research addresses this gap by analyzing user awareness, adoption behavior, behavioral intention, and risk perception toward SMPPs.