I paid all my orders in cash because my previous debit card was not active. But most stores didn’t accept cards anyways. This has remained the same for a long time. I hardly noticed any store with a card reader, unlike the stores in California.
Things are changing though. The government is pushing for digital & cashless payment. And e-wallets are popping up everywhere. I even gave a crash course to my dad on e-wallets.
He asked the most genuine question — किन रख्ने तेस्मा पैसा? (Why should I add money to the wallet?).
To be honest, digital payment is still in its infancy in Nepal. Less than one percent of mobile users have mobile wallets, and there is so much room to grow. The core experience from the banking systems was broken. To give you an example: NIBL freezes your account if you enter your password wrong, thrice. To reset your password, you must go to their main office and pay money.
Ridiculous!