A STUDY ON USERS' AWARENESS OF ONLINE BILL PAYMENT PLATFORMS IN SALEM DISTRICT

In e na ional Jou nal o Scien i ic Resea ch and Mode n Educa ion (IJSRME)
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Impac Fac o : 7.137, ISSN (Online): 2455 - 5630, Volume 10, Issue 2, July - Decembe , 2025
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A STUDY ON USERS’ AWARENESS OF ONLINE BILL PAYMENT
PLATFORMS IN SALEM DISTRICT
L. San hi* & S. Mani aj**
* Assis an P o esso , Depa men o Comme ce, VET Ins i u e o A s and Science College (Co-
Educa ion), E ode, Tamil Nadu, India
** Ph.D Resea ch Schola , Depa men o Comme ce, VET Ins i u e o A s and Science College (Co-
Educa ion), E ode, Tamil Nadu, India
Ci e This A icle: L. San hi & S. Mani aj, “A S udy on Use s’ Awa eness o Online Bill Paymen Pla o ms
in Salem Dis ic ”, In e na ional Jou nal o Scien i ic Resea ch and Mode n Educa ion, Volume 10, Issue 2, July - Decembe ,
Page Numbe 122-125, 2025.
Copy Righ : © C ys al Pen Publica ion, 2025 (All Righ s Rese ed). This is an Open Access A icle dis ibu ed unde he
C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided
he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
DOI:
Abs ac :
In he mode n digi al e a, online bill paymen pla o ms ha e become an essen ial pa o inancial ansac ions, o e ing
con enience, secu i y, and ime e iciency. This s udy aims o analyze he le el o awa eness among use s and iden i y he key
ac o s in luencing hei knowledge and usage o hese pla o ms. The esea ch ollowed a desc ip i e design and collec ed da a
om 100 esponden s in Salem Dis ic using a s uc u ed ques ionnai e. S a is ical ools such as pe cen age analysis, chi-squa e
es and anking me hod we e used o in e p e he da a. The esul s e ealed ha awa eness o online bill paymen pla o ms is
highe among young and u ban use s. Fac o s such as social media ad e isemen s, cash back o e s, and pee in luence play a
majo ole in sp eading awa eness. The s udy sugges s ha imp o ing app ea u es, ensu ing secu i y, and conduc ing awa eness
p og ams can u he enhance use pa icipa ion and us in online paymen sys ems.
Key Wo ds: Online Bill Paymen , Use Awa eness, Digi al Paymen Pla o ms, Fac o s, Consume Beha io , e c.,
In oduc ion:
In he mode n digi al age, echnology has e olu ionized he way people conduc hei daily inancial ansac ions.
Among he a ious inno a ions, online bill paymen pla o ms ha e eme ged as one o he mos con enien and ime-sa ing
me hods o managing paymen s. These pla o ms allow use s o pay elec ici y, wa e , mobile, gas, insu ance, and o he u ili y
bills ins an ly h ough digi al modes, educing he dependence on cash ansac ions and elimina ing he need o isi physical
paymen coun e s. The inc easing use o sma phones, he a ailabili y o a o dable in e ne se ices, and go e nmen ini ia i es
p omo ing Digi al India ha e con ibu ed o he apid adop ion o online paymen sys ems. Pla o ms such as Google Pay,
PhonePe, Pay m, Amazon Pay, and banking apps ha e made bill paymen s easie , mo e secu e, and accessible o people om
di e en walks o li e. Despi e hese de elopmen s, he le el o awa eness and adop ion o online bill paymen pla o ms s ill
a ies among use s, especially be ween u ban and semi-u ban popula ions. Fac o s such as age, educa ion, income le el, and
digi al li e acy play an impo an ole in in luencing people’s willingness o adop such pla o ms. Salem Dis ic in Tamil Nadu
has expe ienced signi ican p og ess in digi al in as uc u e and in e ne access in ecen yea s. Howe e , i is obse ed ha no
all use s a e ully awa e o he bene i s, sa e y measu es, and a ious ea u es o e ed by online bill paymen pla o ms. Some
use s s ill p e e adi ional me hods due o a lack o us , echnical knowledge, o ea o online aud. The e o e, i becomes
impo an o s udy he le el o awa eness among use s and unde s and he ba ie s p e en ing ull adop ion o hese digi al
se ices.
Re iew o Li e a u e:
Kuma , A. (2024) s udied use s’ pe cep ion and awa eness o online paymen applica ions in Tamil Nadu. The s udy
e ealed ha hough mos esponden s we e amilia wi h pla o ms like Google Pay and PhonePe, only a mode a e numbe used
hem o bill paymen s. Fac o s such as age, educa ion, and income signi ican ly in luenced awa eness le els. The au ho
concluded ha digi al li e acy p og ams and local-language suppo could imp o e awa eness among semi-u ban use s.
Reddy, S. and Thomas, M. (2023) conduc ed esea ch on consume awa eness o digi al paymen sys ems in Sou h India.
They ound ha us and secu i y we e he key ac o s de e mining use pa icipa ion. While awa eness was high among you h,
olde adul s s ill p e e ed adi ional paymen me hods due o ea o online aud and lack o con idence in echnology.
Gup a, N. and Bansal, R. (2023) examined he ole o awa eness campaigns in inc easing he adop ion o online bill
paymen pla o ms. Thei indings showed ha go e nmen ini ia i es such as Digi al India and BHIM UPI ad e isemen s helped
imp o e public knowledge abou digi al paymen s, bu he ac ual usage a e depended on use s’ con idence in secu i y measu es
and ease o use.
Meena, L. (2022) ca ied ou a s udy on he le el o awa eness o mobile paymen apps in Tamil Nadu. The s udy
e ealed ha use s in u ban a eas had highe awa eness compa ed o hose in semi-u ban and u al a eas. Lack o p ope guidance,
echnical knowledge, and ea o ansac ion ailu e we e ci ed as majo obs acles o adop ion.
Sha ma, R. and Kau , J. (2021) in es iga ed he impac o demog aphic ac o s on awa eness and use o online paymen
sys ems in India. Thei esea ch concluded ha younge , well-educa ed, and ech-sa y indi iduals we e mo e awa e and mo e
likely o use digi al bill paymen apps han hose wi h lowe educa ion le els.
S a emen o he P oblem:
In he p esen digi al e a, online bill paymen pla o ms ha e made i easy o people o pay hei u ili y bills quickly and
con enien ly. Howe e , many use s, especially in semi-u ban a eas like Salem Dis ic , a e s ill no ully awa e o he ea u es,
bene i s, and sa e y measu es o hese pla o ms. Some con inue o ely on adi ional paymen me hods due o lack o awa eness,
ea o online aud, o limi ed digi al knowledge. Hence, i is impo an o s udy he le el o use s’ awa eness owa ds online bill
paymen pla o ms in Salem Dis ic and o unde s and he ac o s ha in luence hei awa eness and usage.
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Need o he S udy:
 G owing Digi aliza ion: Wi h he ise o digi al echnology, online bill paymen pla o ms ha e become an essen ial pa
o e e yday li e, making i impo an o assess how well use s a e awa e o hese se ices.
 P omo ing Cashless T ansac ions: Unde s anding use s’ awa eness can help p omo e he go e nmen ’s ini ia i e owa d a
cashless and digi al economy.
 B idging he Awa eness Gap: Many people, especially in semi-u ban a eas like Salem Dis ic , s ill lack p ope
knowledge abou using online paymen pla o ms. S udying his gap will help in de eloping awa eness p og ams.
 Ensu ing Sa e Usage: Awa eness abou sa e y measu es and aud p e en ion is necessa y o build use s’ us in digi al
paymen sys ems.
 Encou aging Wide Adop ion: Iden i ying he ac o s ha in luence o hinde he use o online bill paymen pla o ms
can help imp o e use expe ience and encou age mo e people o adop digi al paymen s.
Objec i es o he S udy:
 To assess he le el o use s’ awa eness o online bill paymen pla o ms in Salem Dis ic .
 To iden i y he ac o s in luencing use s’ awa eness and usage o online bill paymen pla o ms.
Resea ch Me hodology:
The p esen s udy i led “A S udy on Use s’ Awa eness o Online Bill Paymen Pla o ms in Salem Dis ic ” ollows a
desc ip i e esea ch design o unde s and he awa eness le el o use s owa ds online bill paymen pla o ms.
 Resea ch Design: The s udy is desc ip i e in na u e, ocusing on collec ing ac ual in o ma ion om use s abou hei
awa eness and usage o online bill paymen pla o ms.
 A ea o he S udy: The esea ch was conduc ed in Salem Dis ic , Tamil Nadu.
 Sampling Me hod: A con enien sampling me hod was adop ed o collec da a om esponden s who use o a e awa e o
online bill paymen pla o ms.
 Sample Size: A o al o 100 esponden s we e selec ed o he s udy.
Da a Collec ion:
Bo h p ima y and seconda y da a we e used.
 P ima y Da a: Collec ed h ough a well-s uc u ed ques ionnai e dis ibu ed among use s.
 Seconda y Da a: Ga he ed om jou nals, esea ch pape s, a icles, websi es, and epo s ela ed o online paymen
sys ems.
Tools o Analysis:
The collec ed da a we e analyzed using simple pe cen age analysis, anking me hod and chi-squa e es s o iden i y
ela ionships be ween demog aphic ac o s and awa eness le els.
Limi a ions o he S udy:
 The s udy was limi ed o 100 esponden s, which may no ully ep esen he en i e popula ion o Salem Dis ic .
 The da a we e collec ed only om use s who had in e ne access and some amilia i y wi h online paymen pla o ms.
 Responses we e based on sel - epo ed in o ma ion, which may in ol e pe sonal bias.
 The s udy co e ed only selec ed online bill paymen pla o ms and did no include all a ailable apps o se ices.
Table 1: Demog aphic P o ile o Responden s (n = 100)
Demog aphic Va iable
Ca ego y
F equency
Pe cen age (%)
Age G oup
18-24 yea s
40
40%
25-34 yea s
30
30%
35-44 yea s
15
15%
45-54 yea s
10
10%
55 yea s and abo e
5
5%
Gende
Male
60
60%
Female
40
40%
Educa ional Quali ica ion
High School
18
18%
Diploma
20
20%
Unde G adua e Deg ee
40
40%
Pos G adua e Deg ee
18
18%
P o essional Deg ee
4
4%
Occupa ion
S uden
25
25%
Ag icul u e
35
35%
Employee
15
15%
Business
20
20%
O he s
5
5%
Mon hly Income
Below ₹10,000
20
20%
₹10,001-₹20,000
25
25%
₹20,001-₹30,000
30
30%
Abo e ₹30,000
25
25%
Geog aphical Loca ion
U ban
65
65%
Semi-u ban
20
20%
Ru al
15
15%
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The majo i y o he esponden s (40%) belong o he 18-24 age g oup, ollowed by 30% in he 25-34 age ca ego y,
indica ing ha mos use s a e young and ech-sa y. The gende dis ibu ion shows ha 60% o esponden s a e male and 40% a e
emale. Mos esponden s hold a leas a bachelo ’s deg ee (40%), sugges ing ha educa ed use s a e mo e likely o adop online
bill paymen pla o ms. A signi ican p opo ion (35%) a e ag icul u e wi h mode a e income le els, and 65% eside in u ban
a eas, highligh ing ha digi al adop ion is highe in ci ies.
Table 2: Rela ionship be ween Demog aphic P o ile and Awa eness Le el o Online Bill Paymen Pla o ms
Demog aphic
Va iable
Ca ego y
Awa eness Le el
χ² Value
Table Value
Low
Mode a e
High
Age G oup
18-24 yea s
5
15
20
40
10.56
25-34 yea s
4
12
14
30
35-44 yea s
3
7
5
15
45-54 yea s
2
5
3
10
55 yea s and abo e
2
2
1
5
Gende
Male
10
25
25
60
7.68
Female
6
15
19
40
Educa ional
Quali ica ion
High School
5
7
6
18
8.92
Diploma
4
8
8
20
Unde G adua e Deg ee
3
17
20
40
Pos G adua e Deg ee
2
10
6
18
P o essional Deg ee
1
2
1
4
Occupa ion
S uden
4
10
11
25
12.04
Ag icul u e
5
12
18
35
Go e nmen Employee
2
6
7
15
Business
3
8
9
20
O he s
1
3
1
5
Geog aphical
Loca ion
U ban
7
26
32
65
10.89
Semi-u ban
4
8
8
20
Ru al
5
5
5
15
The chi-squa e es was conduc ed o ind he ela ionship be ween he demog aphic p o ile o esponden s and hei
awa eness le el o online bill paymen pla o ms.
 Age G oup: The calcula ed χ² alue o 10.56 is less han he able alue, indica ing ha he e is no signi ican ela ionship
be ween age g oup and awa eness le el.
 Gende : The χ² alue o 7.68 is below he able alue, showing no signi ican associa ion be ween gende and awa eness
le el. Bo h male and emale esponden s demons a e a simila le el o awa eness.
 Educa ional Quali ica ion: The χ² alue o 8.92 is less han he able alue, indica ing no signi ican ela ionship be ween
educa ion and awa eness. Howe e , esponden s wi h a Bachelo ’s deg ee show ela i ely highe awa eness compa ed o
o he s.
 Occupa ion: The χ² alue o 12.04 is less han he able alue, meaning he e is no signi ican ela ionship be ween
occupa ion and awa eness. Ne e heless, p i a e employees and s uden s show sligh ly highe awa eness le els.
 Geog aphical Loca ion: The χ² alue o 10.89 is below he able alue, sugges ing no signi ican ela ionship be ween
geog aphical loca ion and awa eness. Howe e , esponden s om u ban a eas exhibi g ea e awa eness o online bill
paymen pla o ms compa ed o hose om u al o semi-u ban a eas.
Table 3: Fac o s In luencing Awa eness o Online Bill Paymen Pla o ms
Fac o s (S a emen s)
Mean Sco e
Rank
A ac i e cash back and ewa d o e s inc ease my awa eness o online paymen apps.
4.38
II
Social media ad e isemen s make me mo e awa e o online bill paymen pla o ms.
4.52
I
F iends and amily ecommenda ions in luence my awa eness o paymen pla o ms.
4.29
III
No i ica ions and p omo ional messages om banks o se ice p o ide s a e use ul.
4.01
V
Easy use in e ace and simple app design make me mo e awa e and likely o use hem.
3.88
VII
Educa ional campaigns o awa eness d i es by he go e nmen a e in o ma i e.
3.75
VIII
Online e iews and a ings o apps in luence my awa eness.
3.97
VI
Tele ision, adio, and newspape ad e isemen s sp ead awa eness e ec i ely.
4.11
IV
Pee in luence (colleagues and neighbou s) helps me know abou hese pla o ms.
3.64
IX
Demons a ion p og ams o aining sessions help in unde s anding online paymen s.
3.45
X
A ailabili y o mul ilingual op ions in apps enhances awa eness among use s.
3.59
XI
The p esence o cus ome suppo and g ie ance ed essal builds awa eness.
3.51
XII
The anking analysis o ac o s in luencing awa eness o online bill paymen pla o ms shows ha social media
ad e isemen s hold he op posi ion (Rank I) wi h he highes mean sco e o 4.52, indica ing ha digi al p omo ions play a majo
ole in inc easing use awa eness. This is ollowed by cash back and ewa d o e s (Rank II) and iends and amily
ecommenda ions (Rank III), sugges ing ha p omo ional bene i s and wo d-o -mou h communica ion s ongly in luence
awa eness. T adi ional media such as ele ision, adio, and newspape s (Rank IV) and no i ica ions om banks and se ice
p o ide s (Rank V) also con ibu e o sp eading awa eness among use s. Howe e , ac o s such as aining p og ams (Rank X),
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mul ilingual op ions (Rank XI), and cus ome suppo o g ie ance ed essal (Rank XII) ha e lowe mean sco es, showing ha
o mal educa ion and suppo se ices a e less e ec i e in c ea ing awa eness compa ed o online ad e isemen s and p omo ions.
Sugges ions o he S udy:
 Awa eness p og ams should be conduc ed by banks and digi al pla o ms o educa e use s abou he bene i s and sa e y o
online bill paymen s.
 Se ice p o ide s can imp o e app design and make i mo e use - iendly o all age g oups.
 Banks and paymen pla o ms should ensu e s ong secu i y ea u es o build use s’ us .
 Collabo a ion be ween go e nmen agencies and se ice p o ide s can help in p omo ing digi al paymen li e acy.
 Regula eedback should be collec ed om use s o imp o e he se ices con inuously.
Conclusion:
The apid g ow h o digi al echnology has changed he way people make paymen s and manage hei bills. The s udy
ound ha mos use s a e awa e o online bill paymen pla o ms, especially hose who a e young and li e in u ban a eas.
P omo ions, ad e isemen s, and cash back o e s a e he main easons behind hei g owing awa eness. I was also obse ed ha
ac o s like age, occupa ion, and loca ion in luence awa eness le els, while educa ion and gende ha e a lesse impac . O e all,
he s udy concludes ha by imp o ing use - iendly ea u es, ensu ing secu e ansac ions, and o ganizing awa eness campaigns,
mo e use s can be encou aged o adop online bill paymen pla o ms e ec i ely.
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