On 2026‑10‑13 at 14:17 UTC I was at a Subway outlet in Terminal 2 of Mumbai Airport and observed a payment workflow that combined a card‑first habit with a UPI discount incentive tied to onboarding the Adani app.
The Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) to onboard a user onto the Adani app is ₹100.
The original listed price of the Subway sandwich was ₹455.
The cashier offered a ₹100 discount for paying by UPI: “Sir if you pay by UPI you will get ₹100 off”.
After scanning the QR code and onboarding the Adani app, the final amount charged was ₹355.
This transaction illustrates how a modest CAC of ₹100 can be recouped by shifting a customer from a card payment to a UPI payment that triggers a discount, effectively reducing the purchase price from ₹455 to ₹355. I noted the decision flow and the open questions around recovery of the CAC, conversion rates, and compliance considerations.
- Open Questions:
- Is the ₹100 CAC fully recovered through subsequent user activity, or does it represent a net loss per acquisition?
- How many customers accept the UPI discount versus remaining with card payments when presented the same offer?
- What is the conversion rate for QR‑code scans to successful Adani app onboarding in this airport environment?
- Are there any compliance or data‑privacy considerations when onboarding users via QR code at a POS?
For broader context see my X activity in October 2026.