Mobile payments attract women more than men: Study

Women in Bangladesh are more motivated than men to adopt mobile payment services, according to a new study published in Nature's Scientific Reports.

The research reveals that women's intention to use mobile financial platforms such as bKash, Nagad and Rocket is twice as strongly influenced by their attitudes compared to men, challenging the perception that women are slower to adopt digital technologies.

The study, titled "Bridging the gender gap in mobile payment services: insights from consumers of Bangladesh", was conducted by Md Rasheduzzaman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Md Salauddin Palash of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Rahman Md Mostafizur and Md Shaikh Farid of Sylhet Agricultural University, and Nusrath Jahan Samria of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation. It surveyed 300 active users across Sylhet and Mymensingh, with nearly equal participation from men and women.

The researchers asked participants about their experience with mobile payments, including whether they found them useful, easy to use, trustworthy, compatible with their lifestyle, and convenient to operate "anytime and anywhere." They also explored whether personal curiosity about new technology shaped people's willingness to adopt.

The results showed that people's attitudes - shaped by usefulness, ease of use, innovativeness, and convenience - were the most decisive factor in determining whether they would continue using mobile payments. For women, this connection was especially strong: their intention to use mobile payments rose sharply with a positive attitude, while men's adoption depended more on whether the service was simple and fitted smoothly into their daily life.

The study also found that women showed greater enthusiasm for experimenting with new technology, while men responded more strongly to practical concerns such as ease of use and the ability to make payments across different locations. Surprisingly, trust and security did not significantly influence attitudes towards mobile payments in Bangladesh, unlike in many other countries.

According to the researchers, these differences suggest that mobile financial services in Bangladesh need to be tailored more carefully to gender-specific motivations. They recommend that service providers design simpler and more intuitive apps, while also running targeted campaigns to build women's confidence and digital literacy. For men, the focus should be on compatibility with lifestyle and demonstrating reliability.

"Mobile payments can transform financial access in Bangladesh, but the services must be designed with gender differences in mind," said lead author Md. Shaikh Farid. "Unless these differences are acknowledged, millions of potential users may remain excluded from the benefits of digital finance."

The findings come at a time when mobile payments are spreading rapidly across Bangladesh, with daily transaction values rising sharply in recent years. While official statistics from Bangladesh Bank provide the broader picture of user accounts and transaction volumes, the new research sheds light on the behavioural reasons behind who adopts mobile payments - and why.

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