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Product cover image for Google Pay India: Personalizing Rewards or Emphasizing Cashback?

Google Pay India: Personalizing Rewards or Emphasizing Cashback?

Deeksha Gupta, Vippan Dutt, Umabharti Rawat, Anil Kumar

Product #:W46637
Supplier:Ivey
Discipline:General Management, Marketing
Setting:India, 2025
Details:Case (PDF) • 13 pages • 2026-01-06

Subjects:

FintechSales and marketingMarketingBusiness managementMarketingFintech

Industries:

Financial service sectorFinancial service sector

Geography:

IndiaAsiaIndia
Your Price:$10.54

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Google Pay (GPay), a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform in India, confronted a strategic dilemma related to its promotional strategy in 2025. Despite its strong market position, the platform faced growing user dissatisfaction with low-value, complex promotional rewards and instances of fraudulent offers, which undermined consumer trust. At the same time, competitors in the industry attracted users with more appealing incentives. In response to this dilemma, GPay had to decide whether to enhance personalized, preference-based rewards; emphasize direct cashback rewards, which customers favored most; or pursue a hybrid solution. The case highlighted the challenges of sustaining user trust, differentiating a UPI platform among competition, and maintaining long-term growth in India’s rapidly evolving digital payments ecosystem.

Learning Objectives

This case can be used and taught in courses with subjects such as marketing management, digital marketing, digital platforms, and consumer behaviour, and in particular in courses with topics like digital platform marketing strategies. It is best suited for postgraduate management programs and executive programs in which students are expected to already have foundational knowledge of the subjects. After reading and discussing the case, students will be able to:
  • Understand the competitive dynamics and growth levers in the Indian UPI/payments ecosystem.
  • Analyze the importance of promotions (promos) and incentives in platform growth.
  • Evaluate the importance of aligning marketing efforts with user needs and behavioural shifts.
  • Formulate actionable, strategic recommendations based on user insight and competitive response.
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Case Study: Google Pay India: Personalizing Rewards or Emphasizing Cashback? (English version) | Ivey Publishing