SalarySe finds Gen Z UPI spend tilts to bills, subscriptions and grocery

Analysis of more than 5.2 lakh salaried Gen Z users shows bills and subscriptions account for 20.1% of monthly consumption spending, followed by grocery at 15.7%. Everyday categories make up over 70% of outlay, while travel represents 5%.

— Source published Sun, 16 Aug, 2026, 06:35 IST · First seen Sun, 16 Aug, 2026, 06:39 IST · Source Mint · Money

What happened

SalarySe’s analysis of over 5.2 lakh Indian salaried Gen Z users finds UPI-led spending concentrated in bills, subscriptions, grocery and financial services.

Key facts

  • More than 5.2 lakh salaried Gen Z users analysed
  • Bill payments and subscriptions: 20.1% of monthly consumption spending
  • Grocery: 15.7%
  • Financial services: 12.2%
  • Shopping: 11.9%
  • Food: 11.5%
  • Everyday categories account for over 70% of monthly spending
  • Discretionary spending: 32% for both age groups
  • Essentials spending rises from 50% for ages 18-23 to 59% for ages 24-29
  • Travel: 5%
  • Jio subscriptions: 12.4%
  • Netflix subscriptions: 10.7%
  • Spotify subscriptions: 5.6%

Why this matters

Targets and partnerships that bundle bill pay, subscriptions, grocery rewards and UPI engagement may offer stronger recurring-frequency economics than travel-focused consumer platforms.

What to watch

  • Growth in UPI Autopay mandates and bill-payment transaction volumes.
  • Changes in average monthly Gen Z spend on quick commerce, grocery and utilities versus discretionary categories.
  • Jio, telecom and OTT bundle launches, price increases and subscriber-churn disclosures.
  • Cashback or loyalty-program shifts by PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, banks and large merchants.
  • Travel-spend acceleration, which would indicate a move away from necessity-led consumption concentration.
  • UPI apps and banks should expand bill-pay dashboards, mandate controls, due-date alerts and category-specific rewards.
  • Telecom and streaming providers should package content with mobile plans and annual payment incentives to reduce churn.
  • Grocery and quick-commerce retailers should link UPI payment history to replenishment reminders, membership offers and private-label promotions.
  • Subscription businesses should prioritize flexible pause, downgrade and bundle options over assuming continued multi-service adoption.