Amina’s Story

Amina Begum is a 52-year-old micro-entrepreneur running an accessories and cosmetics shop in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. She has two sons—one works in Bombay, and the other helps her manage the shop.

For small transactions of ₹50-₹100, Amina feels more comfortable using cash. However, for larger amounts, like ₹8,000-₹10,000, she prefers mobile transactions. Her wholesale shopping experiences have made her realise the value of digital payments and the independence that comes with being able to handle transactions on her own. Unfortunately, her son stands in the way of her gaining full control over digital payments.

Amina has a UPI account linked to her shop, but her son usually manages it. Despite her understanding of its benefits and her desire to use it, she hasn't yet learned how. Her Aadhaar and her bank account are both linked to her son’s mobile number. Her son has set up an UPI account using her bank account but on his own smartphone. So, in theory, while her bank account is being accessed via UPI, that UPI account is not used by her.

She feels stuck, with no one she can freely approach to teach her UPI. Although her son is proficient, he is unwilling to teach her. He prefers that the income from the shop flows into his account and only provides her with money when she asks for it. Her BC Sakhi sister-in-law has pointed out this issue, but Amina prefers not to challenge it.

A past incident has also made her hesitant about UPI payments. While traveling to Firozabad with her son, they made payments to suppliers via UPI. One supplier claimed not to have received a payment of ₹10,000, which left Amina anxious, especially since they needed to return to Varanasi and their train time was approaching. The supplier insisted the money had not arrived for days, adding to her worries. However, when they asked him to recheck his messages, it turned out that he had missed the payment notification.

Many people reassured Amina that, even if messages are deleted, the transaction history remains in the app, which eased her concerns. The situation was eventually resolved, and she received her goods, but the experience left her more cautious about relying solely on UPI.