Simple PR Tips for Digital Payment Companies in India (2025 Guide)
The PR Challenge for Digital Payment Companies
India’s digital payments market is valued at ₹24.77 lakh crore ($297.24 billion), driven by 1.2 billion monthly UPI transactions and 900 million internet users. With 2,800+ fintech startups in payments and wallets (Tracxn, 2025), companies face challenges in building trust amid 46% of consumers citing security concerns (Nasscom Digital Payments Report 2024). Atom Communication, a digital marketing observer, notes, “Digital payment firms miss 92% consumer trust in earned media without strategic PR”. This guide offers six simple PR tips, supported by examples, stats, and the EY Digital Payments Report 2025, to enhance visibility and trust.
The Struggle: A Hyderabad Fintech Startup’s PR Missteps
A hypothetical Hyderabad-based digital payments startup, launched in 2024 with a ₹1 crore PR budget, struggled to gain traction:
- Generic Pitches: Ignored 67% of journalists’ preference for unique stories.
- No Data Transparency: Lacked insights, despite 80% of editors valuing proprietary data (Nasscom Digital Payments Report 2024).
- Urban Focus: Missed 60% of Tier-2/3 digital payment users.
- Poor Media Targeting: Mass emails ignored 50% of coverage driven by relationships (EY Digital Payments Report 2025).
With fintech founders prioritizing media for growth, strategic PR was essential to stand out.
Why PR Matters for Digital Payment Companies
- Trust Building: consumers trust media-backed brands (Nielsen, 2024).
- Investor Appeal: Series A-funded fintechs had prior coverage (Tracxn, 2025).
- Market Reach: payment revenue is digital-driven (Nasscom Digital Payments Report 2024).
- User Adoption: UPI volume comes from QR codes (EY Digital Payments Report 2025).
What Media and Consumers Want
What Brands Think Media Wants | What Media Actually Wants |
App launches | User impact stories |
Funding news | Market trend insights |
Tech features | Security and trust data |
Merchant wins | Policy-driven innovations |
Pro Tip: Journalists prioritize user-centric stories.
6 Simple PR Tips for Digital Payment Companies
1. Highlight User-Centric Stories
- Why It Works: 69% of consumers trust relatable testimonials. Stories humanize payment solutions.
- Example: PhonePe’s 2024 X campaign on “UPI for Rural Merchants” drove 40,000 engagements.
- How to Do It: Share case studies (e.g., “Our App Helped a Jaipur Retailer Save ₹10,000”) on LinkedIn or YourStory. Target Tier-2/3 platforms like ShareChat.
- Tip: 60% of UPI users are in Tier-2/3 cities.
2. Publish Data-Driven Insights
- Why It Works: 80% of editors value proprietary data. Transparent data builds credibility.
- Example: Paytm’s 2024 report on “QR Code Adoption” landed 8 mentions in Economic Times.
- How to Do It: Share metrics like “70% of Users Prefer UPI for Micro-Transactions” in blogs or pitches to Mint. Create infographics for media.
- Tip: 70% of trust comes from data transparency.
3. Leverage Vernacular and Regional Media
- Why It Works: 60% of India’s media consumption is vernacular (Nasscom Digital Payments Report 2024). Outlets like Dainik Jagran reach 70 million readers.
- Example: Razorpay’s 2024 Hindi campaign in Dainik Bhaskar drove 20,000 merchant signups in Tier-2 cities.
- How to Do It: Pitch hyperlocal stories (e.g., “Our UPI App Boosts Kolkata Retail”) to Eenadu or Sakshi. Align with festivals like Diwali.
- Tip: 80% of consumers prefer local brands.
4. Align with Policy and Economic Trends
- Why It Works: Stories tied to Digital India, UPI Lite, or Digital Rupee resonate, per EY Digital Payments Report 2024. Policy hooks attract media.
- Example: Google Pay’s 2024 UPI Lite pitch secured BusinessLine coverage, driving 15,000 visits.
- How to Do It: Pitch stories like “Our Platform Powers Digital India for 1,000 Merchants” to Financial Express. Highlight 1.2B UPI transactions.
- Tip: 50% of journalists seek trend-driven stories.
5. Build Targeted Journalist Relationships
- Why It Works: 50% of coverage comes from relationships. Targeted pitches outperform mass emails.
- Example: Amazon Pay’s 2024 targeted pitches to Forbes India landed 6 features, boosting 18% leads.
- How to Do It: Identify 5-7 journalists covering fintech on LinkedIn/X. Reference their work (e.g., “Loved your Mint piece on UPI”).
- Tip: 80% of journalists prefer tailored pitches.
6. Address Security and Trust Concerns
- Why It Works: 46% of consumers cite security concerns with digital payments (Nasscom Digital Payments Report 2024). Addressing fraud builds trust.
- Example: BharatPe’s 2024 “Zero Fraud” campaign on X drove 30,000 app downloads.
- How to Do It: Publish blogs on PCI DSS compliance or fraud prevention. Pitch stories like “Our App Secures 99% of Transactions” to The Hindu.
- Tip: 80% of users trust brands with transparent security (Edelman, 2024).
Metrics to Track PR Impact
Metric | Before Campaign | After Campaign (30 Days) |
LinkedIn Followers (Brand) | +5% | +22% |
Merchant Signups | 10–20/month | 50–80/month |
Website Traffic (Direct/Referral) | +15% | +60% |
Media Mentions | 1–2 | 8–12 |
Case Study: Hyderabad Digital Payments Startup’s PR Success
A Hyderabad digital payments startup’s 2024 campaign:
- User Stories: X campaign on “UPI for Small Businesses” drove 35,000 engagements.
- Data Insights: “Micro-Transaction Trends” report secured 7 mentions in Business Standard.
- Regional Media: Sakshi pitches reached 30,000 readers in Andhra Pradesh.
- Policy Alignment: Digital Rupee pitch landed Economic Times feature, driving 15% merchant signups.
- Security Focus: Blog on fraud prevention boosted 20% app downloads.
Why PR Matters in 2025
India’s ₹24.77 lakh crore digital payments market and 46% of global real-time transactions make PR vital for fintechs (EY Digital Payments Report 2025). 92% of consumers value PR-driven trust . Strategic PR—via user stories, data, vernacular media, policy alignment, relationships, and security focus—drives trust, merchants, and investors.
Book your free 20-minute strategy call — no strings attached.