Travel vlogger and content creator Lee Veu recently shared a moment from the streets of Agra, near the iconic Taj Mahal, where he found himself in a common situation waiting for change after a purchase.
In the video, he humorously remarked, “Waiting for some change, brother went all the way to Delhi to get some change,” drawing comments from viewers across platforms.
Take a look at the post:
While the tone was light, the clip struck a chord with many Indians, who quickly pointed out that the country has moved far beyond coins and small notes.
{{/usCountry}}While the tone was light, the clip struck a chord with many Indians, who quickly pointed out that the country has moved far beyond coins and small notes.
{{/usCountry}}One user wrote, “We don’t use card and cash, we use digital payment system. Grow up bro, this is new India, not 19th century India.”
Another chimed in, “In India everyone uses UPI, we don't use cash brother.”
India’s widespread adoption of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has transformed even small roadside stalls into cashless businesses, a shift that surprises many first-time foreign visitors.
India leads in UPI transactions
UPI continues to dominate India's digital payment landscape, accounting for 65% of total transactions in 2024, according to a report by digital payments fintech Phi Commerce.
The report highlights that nearly one-third of all domestic digital payment transactions were credit-driven, made through credit cards or interest-bearing EMIs.
While UPI remains the preferred method for small and mid-value payments, the use of credit cards and EMIs is steadily increasing, especially for high-value purchases. Sectors such as education, healthcare, and auto ancillary have seen notable growth in digital credit adoption.
Spikes in credit usage typically coincide with festive shopping, school admissions, and seasonal trends, suggesting that consumers rely on short-term credit during high-spend periods.
The findings are based on transaction data from over 20,000 merchants across India.