Home Credit India study shows middle-class shift toward offline payments
India
A new Home Credit India study shows that more middle-class Indians are showing a more mixed preference between online and offline transactions, with some everyday payments and purchases moving back toward physical channels.
In 2026, 59% preferred paying bills offline (up from 43% last year), and grabbing food via dine-in or takeout jumped to 73%.
Even offline ticket bookings for busses and trains saw a big spike.
Shopping payments split 49% each
When it comes to shopping, online and offline payments are now neck and neck at 49% each. But for loans, the digital route is slowly winning out: online loan applications edged up from 50% to 51%.
The survey covered people aged 18 to 55 earning around ₹35,000 a month, highlighting how payment habits are shifting in daily life.