“…This research broadens our understanding of the elderly’s willingness to adopt digital payments and complements earlier contributions by emphasizing the influence of technology on consumer behavior and business strategies during the pandemic (Sarwar et al ., 2022). Moreover, “ Benchmarking non-pharmacological policies from an efficient administration perspective: a panel DEA approach with strategic insights for the post-pandemic ” by Nepomuceno et al . (2024) offers an in-depth benchmarking of non-pharmacological policies, highlighting varied municipal responses to the pandemic.…”