In many emerging countries, the adoption of digital payments faces a paradox in which the infrastructure and technology are present, but their actual use remains low. This conceptual article explores this disparity between availability of access and actual use, structuring the discussion around financial literacy, digital inclusion, and institutional trust. Drawing on lessons learned from international experiences, and more specifically on the emblematic case of M-Pesa in Kenya, it highlights the essential conditions for the successful adoption of digital payment practices. The study shows that success does not rely exclusively on a single technological innovation, but stems from a combination of cognitive, educational, and structural factors. This work provides public and private decision-makers with operational guidelines for reducing cash dependency, strengthening financial inclusion, and building a reliable, attractive, and sustainable digital payment ecosystem. It also paves the way for empirical validation aimed at analyzing the conditions conducive to the adoption of digital payments in a context characterized by heavy cash dependency and persistent structural barriers.