Trust vs Technology: A Tale of Two UPI Payments 💸

While visiting Ahmedabad for office work, I stopped at a city bus stop to grab a quick plate of Poha. As a usual practice, I paid ₹30 using the UPI payment app before receiving my plate. However, the shopkeeper’s sound box didn’t beep. Despite my showing him a successful transaction message on my phone, he insisted the payment hadn’t gone through—just because the box hadn’t beeped.

Even though I had the confirmation and proof, he kept arguing that the absence of a beep meant no payment. I completed my plate of Poha, and when I went to return the plate, he again demanded I pay. Only after he restarted his sound box—and it finally beeped—did he agree that the transaction had actually succeeded.

Contrast this with a recent experience in my village.

My dad had asked me to get some plumbing items as repair work was going on at home. I visited a small shop, picked up the goods, and paid ₹40 through the UPI payment app. Again, the box didn’t beep. I tried to show the transaction history, but the shop owner simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry, when I charge the box, it will beep. I trust it’s credited.” No tension, no argument—just trust.

---

The Bigger Picture: Trust > Technology?

Both situations involved the same technology, the same process, and the same kind of transaction. What differed drastically was trust.

In the first story, despite having digital proof, the transaction was questioned until the system confirmed it.

In the second, trust in the process and in people made technology secondary.

This contrast reveals a deeper truth about how we perceive and adopt digital systems. Technology might be standardized, but human behavior around it isn’t. In some places, trust fills the gap where tech lags. In others, trust is completely outsourced to tech.

---

Final Thoughts

India is transforming digitally at an incredible pace. But this transformation is not just about apps and beeps. It’s also about people, perceptions, and how much trust we place in each other—and in technology.

If this story made you think, smile, or nod in agreement, why stop here?
There’s more where that came from—real stories, simple reflections, and tech meets life moments.

👉 Visit https://jramnai.hashnode.dev/ for more, and don’t forget to like, comment, and share this post with someone who’s had their own digital payment drama! Let’s spread the conversation—because trust is a story worth telling.