Non-metro cities outpace metros in digital payments growth

When it comes to India's digital payments landscape, non-metro cities are coming up much faster than their metro counterparts, in terms of opportunity, aspiration and digital adoption.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

Few pointers first. Credit card spends in category B and category C+ cities grew by 4 times between 2019 and 2024, outpacing the 1.4X growth in metro cities. The share of online spending in category C+ cities soared from 53 per cent to 73 per cent across categories like apparel and travel, as well as digital services like gaming and online education.

Little wonder therefore that financial institutions are finding larger opportunities in these cities to meet the rising demand for customised, secure financial solutions. And all these are no longer notions, but these have been validated by a recent study by Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA), Visa's advisory arm. Visa, the global leader in digital payments, has clearly established that digital payment transactions in non-metro regions are growing faster than in metros, with card spending soaring 175 per cent since 2019.