Abstract

Digital economies have become increasingly prevalent in our modern era, offering convenience and efficiency. However, this transition poses challenges for disadvantaged individuals who must navigate technology to participate fully in these digital ecosystems. The surge in digital money adoption has significantly impacted traditional physical money transactions. Technological advancements, exponential e-commerce growth, and shifting consumer payment behaviors have contributed to decreased physical cash usage. Notably, some advanced economies have witnessed businesses opting out of accepting cash altogether, further accelerating the shift toward cashless societies. Yet, amidst this global trend, a significant portion of the population still relies on physical cash. These individuals face potential exclusion from participating in a growing cashless economic system. To gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, the proposed method for collecting and analyzing our data will combine qualitative and quantitative methods, and we suggest examining it through the lens of a modified Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). We modify the TPB with context-relevant antecedent extensions of perceived affordability and digital skill. This paper proposes extending new knowledge to policymakers to help them develop inclusive policies that enable marginalized communities to participate in digital economies.

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