Barriers to Digital Payment Adoption in Saudi Arabia: A Plithogenic IndetermHyperSoft Complex Refined Modelling Approach

Mohanned H. Alharbi, Finance and Business Sector, Institute of Public Administration, P.O.Box 205 Riyadh 11141, Saudi ArabiaFollow

ORCID

Mohanned H. Alharbi: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3571-1106

Keywords

Digital payment adoption, Digital payment barriers, Plithogenic probability, IndetermHyperSoft set, Complex refined neutrosophic set, Neutrosophic decision-making, Fintech, Cashless society, Saudi Arabia, Vision 2030

Article Type

Original Article

Abstract

Digital payments are central to Saudi Arabia's financial modernization under Vision 2030. While infrastructure and regulations have advanced rapidly, adoption is still hindered by barriers such as security concerns, unclear costs, usability issues, and religious ambiguity. Standard analytical models often struggle to evaluate these barriers because user feedback is frequently incomplete, conflicting, or vague. To address this uncertainty, this paper proposes a new decision-making framework: the Plithogenic IndetermHyperSoft Complex Refined Neutrosophic model (PIHCRN-DPA). This model integrates advanced mathematical concepts to handle complexity. It uses refined neutrosophic sets to process degrees of truth and indeterminacy, while complex sets account for contextual changes over time. By employing HyperSoft and IndetermHyperSoft structures, the model analyzes multiple barrier attributes simultaneously. Based on this framework, we developed the Neutrosophic Digital Payment Barrier Index (N-DPBI) and a complementary Adoption Support Index (N-DPAS). A case study in Riyadh applies this model to three distinct groups: youth, middle-aged users, and micro-merchants. The results illustrate how the model ranks barrier levels and evaluates the effect of targeted policies, such as reducing merchant fees and clarifying Shariah compliance. The study demonstrates that PIHCRN-DPA offers a more nuanced, uncertainty-aware approach to understanding digital payment adoption compared to traditional models.

How to Cite

Alharbi, Mohanned H. (2025) "Barriers to Digital Payment Adoption in Saudi Arabia: A Plithogenic IndetermHyperSoft Complex Refined Modelling Approach," Sustainable Machine Intelligence Journal: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63689/3005-3617.1074