Customer Awareness of BOC Digital Payment Services: Evidence from Government Employees
The ready digitalization of fiscal services has significantly changed banking operations and the way customers accomplish financial dealings. Digital payment services, in particular, have become essential for enhancing transaction efficiency, convenience, and financial inclusion. In Sri Lanka, the Bank of Ceylon (BOC), as the largest state-owned commercial bank, has introduced a range of digital payment solutions to backing the national transition to a cash-lite economy. Despite these efforts, customer awareness of such services is minimal. Government employees, who represent a substantial and strategically important segment of BOC’s clientele, display varying levels of understanding and familiarity with available digital payment options. This study examines the factors affecting customer awareness of BOC digital payment services among government employees in Sri Lanka. A quantitative research design was utilized, using primary data collected from a sample of 300 government employees providing a structured questionnaire based on convenience sampling. Customer awareness was modeled as a binary outcome variable, and binary logistic regression analysis was applied to identify its key determinants. The findings reveal that education level, monthly income, smartphone ownership, frequency of internet usage, prior experience with digital banking, and perceived usefulness have a statistically significant influence on awareness. Conversely, age and gender were not found to be significant predictors. The results suggest that awareness of digital payment services is designed more by technological exposure, experience, and perceived benefits than by basic demographic features. The study offers practical visions for bank managers and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of targeted awareness programs and digital literacy initiatives tailored to government employees. In addition, it contributes to the limited empirical literature on digital payment awareness in Sri Lanka and demonstrates the usefulness of binary logistic regression in analyzing awareness related outcomes.