Can FinTech Applied to Payments Improve Consumer Financial Satisfaction? Evidence from the USA

Abstract

The rapid development of financial technology (FinTech) has profoundly affected consumers’ financial life, especially their financial satisfaction. The advancement of FinTech has given momentum to the development of mobile payments to some extent. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of FinTech applied to payments on consumer financial satisfaction utilizing data from the U.S. 2015 and 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS). The method of probit regression is utilized to perform more accurate estimates since the variable of consumer financial satisfaction is non-continuous and ordered. The empirical results of this study indicate that FinTech positively contributes to consumer financial satisfaction. In addition, this study selects financial education and financial capability as mediating variables to explore the possible influence channels between the development of mobile payments and the increase in consumer financial satisfaction. The mediating effects analysis demonstrates that FinTech positively affects financial education and financial capability, ultimately increasing consumer financial satisfaction. These findings have implications for consumer policymakers when promoting FinTech to consumers and helping them increase their financial satisfaction through mobile payments.