Digital Payments and the Informal Sector: Evidence from a Decade of Research

Abstract

Despite this expansion, academic research and digital payment policy statistics rarely include informal micro-entrepreneurs including street vendors, hawkers, barbers, tailors, and small food merchants. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Bibliometric Analysis utilizing Scopus and Web of Science maps digital payment research from 2015 to 2025. PRISMA 2020 screening was followed by Biblioshiny (RStudio) analysis of trends, clusters, and themes. Global and Indian research focuses on FinTech, blockchain, financial inclusion, technology adoption models, and digital transformation, yet informal vendors remain statistically and academically “invisible.” Uneven adoption, severe hurdles, and limited linkage to economic sustainability outcomes are seen in India and other emerging economies. The study emphasizes a research vacuum in digital payments and informal livelihoods and suggests a conceptual framework linking digital literacy, adoption behavior, and economic sustainability for future empirical work.