Consumer credit use: a process model and literature review

Abstract

By taking on a consumer viewpoint, we apply a process framework to our review of varied literature on consumer credit use, and introduce a process model. This conceptual model relates credit use to other consumer decisions, and is comprised of three main parts: (a) processes before credit take up, (b) processes at credit take up, and (c) processes after credit take up. In the literature review and the subsequent discussion section, frequent shortcomings of, and gaps in, research on consumer credit use are identified and implications for future research are derived.