Fintech Adoption and Financial Inclusion: The Mediating Role of Digital ‎Financial Knowledge

  • Authors

    • Priya K M Assistant Professor, School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar ‎ University, City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Bangaluru
    • Yogashree C Assistant Professor, School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar ‎ University, City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Bangaluru
    • Abhijith Assistant Professor, School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar ‎ University, City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Bangaluru
    • Abhilash G Assistant Professor, School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar ‎ University, City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Bangaluru
    • Shruthi M P Assistant Professor, School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayananda Sagar ‎ University, City Innovation Campus, Kudlu Gate, Bangaluru
    https://doi.org/10.14419/gb8wcy82

    Received date: July 26, 2025

    Accepted date: September 1, 2025

    Published date: October 11, 2025

  • Financial Inclusion; FinTech Adoption; Digital Financial Knowledge; Financial Literacy; ‎Fintech use
  • Abstract

    This study investigates the relationship between FinTech use, digital financial knowledge, and ‎financial inclusion among digitally active individuals. A descriptive research design with a ‎quantitative approach was employed, utilizing an online structured questionnaire that yielded ‎‎623 responses. After rigorous screening for completeness and consistency, 478 valid responses ‎were retained for analysis. Constructs were measured using a five-point Likert scale to assess ‎engagement with digital financial platforms, awareness of digital financial tools, and access to ‎financial services. Findings indicate that FinTech use significantly enhances both digital ‎financial knowledge and financial inclusion, while digital financial knowledge serves as a ‎partial mediator between FinTech use and financial inclusion. The study underscores the ‎importance of strengthening digital literacy to maximize the economic and social benefits of ‎FinTech adoption. These insights offer valuable implications for policymakers, financial ‎institutions, and regulators seeking to leverage technology for broader financial inclusion.

  • References

    1. Addy, N. W. A., Ajayi-Nifise, N. a. O., Bello, N. B. G., Tula, N. S. T., Odeyemi, N. O., & Falaiye, N. T. (2024). AI in credit scoring: A comprehen-sive review of models and predictive analytics. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 18(2), 118–129. https://doi.org/10.30574/gjeta.2024.18.2.0029.
    2. Alenizi, A., Mishra, S., & Baihan, A. (2024). Enhancing secure financial transactions through the synergy of blockchain and artificial intelligence. Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 15(6), 102733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2024.102733.
    3. Amnas, M. B., Selvam, M., & Parayitam, S. (2024). FinTech and Financial Inclusion: Exploring the Mediating Role of Digital Financial Literacy and the Moderating Influence of Perceived Regulatory Support. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 17(3), 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17030108.
    4. Anagnostopoulos, I. Y., Sails, T., & Alexandrou, G. (2025). FinTechs, BigTechs and diminishing bank franchise values: Stakeholder perspectives on a disruptive emerging financial ecosystem. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 212, 123924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123924.
    5. Arner, D. W., Barberis, J., & Buckley, R. P. (2016). The evolution of FinTech: A new post-crisis paradigm? Georgetown Journal of International Law, 47(4), 1271–1319. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2676553.
    6. Arner, D. W., Buckley, R. P., Zetzsche, D. A., & Veidt, R. (2020). Sustainability, FinTech and Financial Inclusion. European Business Organization Law Review, 21(1), 7–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40804-020-00183-y.
    7. Awaworyi Churchill, S., Nuhu, A.S., Smyth, R. (2020). Financial Inclusion and Poverty: Micro-level Evidence from Nigeria. In: Awaworyi Churchill, S. (eds) Moving from the Millennium to the Sustainable Development Goals. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1556-9_2.
    8. Azmeh, C., & Al-Raeei, M. (2024). Exploring the dual relationship between FinTech and financial inclusion in developing countries and their impact on economic growth: Supplement or substitute? PLoS ONE, 19(12), e0315174. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0315174.
    9. Bunnell, L., Osei-Bryson, K., & Yoon, V. Y. (2020). Development of a consumer financial goals ontology for use with FinTech applications for im-proving financial capability. Expert Systems with Applications, 165, 113843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2020.113843.
    10. Çera, G., Pagria, I., Khan, K. A., & Muaremi, L. (2020). Mobile banking usage and gamification: the moderating effect of generational cohorts. Jour-nal of Systems and Information Technology, 22(3), 243–263. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-01-2020-0005.
    11. Chauhan, S., Akhtar, A., & Gupta, A. (2021). Gamification in banking: a review, synthesis and setting research agenda. Young Consumers Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, 22(3), 456–479. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-10-2020-1229.
    12. Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., & Ansar, S. (2021). The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resil-ience in the Age of COVID-19. The World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1897-4.
    13. Demirguc-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global FinDex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the FinTech Revolution. In Washington, DC: World Bank eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1259-0.
    14. Erlando, A., Riyanto, F. D., & Masakazu, S. (2020). Financial inclusion, economic growth, and poverty alleviation: evidence from eastern Indonesia. Heliyon, 6(10), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05235.
    15. Evans, O. (2018). Connecting the poor: the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa. Digital Policy Regulation and Governance, 20(6), 568–581. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPRG-04-2018-0018.
    16. Feyen, E., Frost, J., Gambacorta, L., Natarajan, H., & Saal, M. (2021). FinTech and the digital transformation of financial services: implications for market structure and public policy. In The Bank for International Settlements (No 117). The Bank for International Settlements. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://ideas.repec.org/b/bis/bisbps/117.html.
    17. Gabor, D., & Brooks, S. (2016). The digital revolution in financial inclusion: international development in the FinTech era. New Political Economy, 22(4), 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2017.1259298.
    18. Gomber, P., Koch, J., & Siering, M. (2017). Digital Finance and FinTech: current research and future research directions. Journal of Business Eco-nomics, 87(5), 537–580. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-017-0852-x.
    19. Goyal, K., & Kumar, S. (2020). Financial literacy: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(1), 80–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12605.
    20. Ha, D., Le, P. & Nguyen, D.K. Financial inclusion and FinTech: a state-of-the-art systematic literature review. Financ Innov 11, 69 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40854-024-00741-0.
    21. Hasan, M., Noor, T., Gao, J., Usman, M., & Abedin, M. Z. (2022). Rural consumers’ financial literacy and access to FinTech services. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(2), 780–804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-022-00936-9.
    22. Jha, S., & Dangwal, R. C. (2025). FinTech services and financial inclusion: a systematic literature review of developing nations. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 16(7), 1167-1198. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-03-2023-0034.
    23. Kamble, P. A., Mehta, A., & Rani, N. (2023b). Financial Inclusion and Digital Financial Literacy: Do they Matter for Financial Well-being? Social Indicators Research, 171(3), 777–807. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03264-w.
    24. Koh, F., Phoon, K. F., & Ha, C. D. (2017). Digital financial inclusion in South East Asia. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 387–403). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812282-2.00015-2.
    25. Kushwaha, D., & Malpani, D. (2025). The impact of FinTech on financial inclusion in India: An Empirical analysis of digital payment adoption and banking access. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 11(12s), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.64252/g845vb32.
    26. Liu, J., Puah, C., Arip, M. A., & Jong, M. (2023). Impacts of digital financial inclusion on Urban–Rural income disparity: A comparative research of the eastern and western regions in China. Economies, 11(11), 282. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies11110282.
    27. Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2014). The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(1), 5–44. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.52.1.5.
    28. Mindra, R., & Moya, M. (2017). Financial self-efficacy: a mediator in advancing financial inclusion. Equality Diversity and Inclusion an International Journal, 36(2), 128–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-05-2016-0040.
    29. Morgan, P. J. (2022). FinTech and financial inclusion in Southeast Asia and India. Asian Economic Policy Review, 17(2), 183–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/aepr.12379.
    30. OECD. (2022). OECD/INFE Guidance on Digital Delivery of Financial Education. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2022/04/oecd-infe-guidance-on-digital-delivery-of-financial-education_367fa011/c980ce2b-en.pdf.
    31. Ozili, P. K. (2018). Impact of digital finance on financial inclusion and stability. Borsa Istanbul Review, 18(4), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2017.12.003.
    32. Pal, M., Gupta, H., & Joshi, Y. C. (2021). Social and economic empowerment of women through financial inclusion: empirical evidence from India. Equality Diversity and Inclusion an International Journal, 41(2), 294–305. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2021-0113.
    33. Pei, P., Zhang, S., & Zhou, G. (2024). Digital Inclusive Finance, Spatial Spillover Effects and Relative Rural Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from Chi-na. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 17(3), 1129–1160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-024-09580-z.
    34. Priya, K.M. and Jaidev, U.P.,(2022), Price Perception & Continued Intention to Buy Organic Food: A Mediated Moderation Model. Acad. Mark. Stud. J., 26, 2, 21–48.
    35. Priya, K.M. and Alur, S.,(2023), Understanding consumer decision-making in response to food and nutrition labeling: A methodological review. Int. J. Bus. Innov. Res., 1, 1, https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIR.2023.10059794.
    36. Priya, K.M. and Alur, S.,(2024) Examining nutrition label knowledge, self–efficacy, and nutrition facts panel usage. IRJMS, 5, October 2023, 251–262, https://doi.org/10.47857/irjms.2024.v05i01.0199.
    37. Priya, K. M., & Alur, S. (2024). Benchmarking nutrition facts panel label – a consumer ethics perspective using health belief model. Benchmarking: An International Journal, ahead-of-p(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-02-2024-0125.
    38. Raji, A. a. H., Alabdoon, A. H. F., & Almagtome, A. (2024). AI in Credit Scoring and Risk Assessment: Enhancing Lending Practices and Financial Inclusion. IEEE Xplore, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICKECS61492.2024.10616493.
    39. Renduchintala, T., Alfauri, H., Yang, Z., Di Pietro, R., & Jain, R. (2022). A survey of blockchain applications in the FinTech sector. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 8(4), 185. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8040185.
    40. Rodrigues, L. F., Costa, C. J., & Oliveira, A. (2016). Gamification: A framework for designing software in e-banking. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 620–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.035.
    41. Saha, S.K., Qin, J. Financial inclusion and poverty alleviation: an empirical examination. Econ Change Restruct 56, 409–440 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10644-022-09428-x.
    42. Salman, A., & Nowacka, K. (2020). Innovative financial products and services for women in Asia and the Pacific. Asian Development Bank. https://doi.org/10.22617/WPS200119-2.
    43. Santos, P. L. D., & Kvangraven, I. H. (2017). Better than Cash, but Beware the Costs: Electronic Payments Systems and Financial Inclusion in De-veloping Economies. Development and Change, 48(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12296.
    44. Shabu, K., Priya, K. M., Mageswari, S. S., Prabhash, N., & Hari, A. (2025). Shaping the gig economy: insights into management, technology, and workforce dynamics. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(1), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.14419/sx68fc91.
    45. Sharma, A., Bhimavarapu, V. M., Kanoujiya, J., Barge, P., & Rastogi, S. (2022). Financial Inclusion - An Impetus to the Digitalization of Payment Services (UPI) in India. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 9(9), 191–203.
    46. Shipalana, P. (2019). Digitising Financial Services: a tool for financial inclusion in South Africa? Occasional Paper, 301. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/ 10/Occasional-Paper-301-shipalana.pdf.
    47. Soejachmoen, M. P. (2016). Financial inclusion in Indonesia: Moving towards a digital payment system. In Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks (pp. 131–186). https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58337-6_5.
    48. World Bank Group. (2022, July 21). COVID-19 boosted the adoption of digital financial services. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/ en/news/feature/2022/ 07/21/covid-19-boosted-the-adoption-of-digital-financial-services.
    49. Priya, K. M., & Saravanakumar, S. (2025). Enhancing Financial Inclusion: The Role of Digital Knowledge and Well‐Being in Fintech Use. Financial Innovation for Global Sustainability, 411-429. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394311682.ch17
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    K M, P., C, Y. ., Abhijith, G, A. ., & M P, S. . (2025). Fintech Adoption and Financial Inclusion: The Mediating Role of Digital ‎Financial Knowledge. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(6), 423-429. https://doi.org/10.14419/gb8wcy82