I was sitting with a friend one evening, and as new professionals, our conversation naturally drifted toward finances. For nearly three hours, we spoke about savings, spending, and future goals. Out of curiosity, we pulled up our UPI transaction summaries on Google Pay.
He had spent ₹64,000 in a month, while my total was just ₹11,000. I managed to save a portion of my earnings, but he admitted he wanted to save — his spending habits just didn’t leave room for it.
That contrast stuck with me. What if savings didn’t require conscious effort? What if every payment, no matter how small, automatically contributed to your future?
With that thought, I began exploring how UPI payments actually work and what underlying structure powers them. As I dug deeper, I wondered: could we link UPI and mutual funds the same way credit cards integrate with UPI (like Kiwi Credit Card does)?
This curiosity led me to a masterclass by Sharan, founder of the 1% Club, where I first learned about micro-SIPs — investing small amounts regularly toward specific goals. That idea clicked. Why not create an app that rewards users with cashback, like credit cards do, but also helps them save effortlessly?
Here’s the twist: with every UPI transaction, the user saves a small percentage — say 0.5% — which gets stored in an in-app wallet. At the end of the month, those small amounts pool together and can be invested in mutual funds via micro-SIPs, laying the foundation for future goals without any extra effort.
To test this idea, I created a survey that received 30 responses — some validating my assumptions, others helping me refine the features and functionalities.
The research began 7 months ago with designing a short, unbiased questionnaire. The goal was to validate assumptions without overwhelming participants, while still collecting enough data to guide product direction.
Age Groups:
This clearly showed that the core audience lies between 18–34, which aligned perfectly with the intended target group. Assumption 1 validated.
Profession & Income:
The average monthly income across respondents was ₹21,583.34, giving a rough sense of purchasing power within the group.
UPI Usage: 24 participants said they use it daily, while the rest use it weekly. The average transaction value came out to ₹1,210.67.
Reward-Based UPI Apps: Surprisingly, 23 said No while only 7 said Yes — showing a gap in adoption and an opportunity to bring rewards into UPI.
Savings Habits: 24 users reported actively saving a portion of their income (average savings rate: 30.3%), while 6 admitted they don’t save at all. When asked if they’d like to link savings to UPI transactions, 20 said yes while 10 declined.
Investment Awareness: 21 users were familiar with mutual funds, while 9 were not. Risk appetite varied:
Micro-SIP Comfort: When asked if they would be comfortable with micro-SIPs (₹500/month), 22 said yes and 8 said no. This showed strong potential for positioning micro-investments as a habit-building feature.
Rewards Influence: 20 users admitted rewards influence their behavior, while 10 said they don’t care much. Preferences:
App Design Expectations: Most leaned toward a simple, clean interface over heavily gamified or interaction-heavy experiences (like CRED). Referral programs were considered optional, not essential.
Although the survey gave me valuable insights, I realized later that I had missed a crucial question:
👉 Are users comfortable saving a small percentage of money (e.g., 0.5%) every time they make a UPI transaction?