Examining the role of initial trust in user adoption of mobile payment services: an empirical investigation

Abstract

User adoption of mobile payment (m-payment) is low compared to the adoption of traditional forms of payments. Lack of user trust has been identified as the most significant long-term barrier for the success of mobile finances systems. Motivated by this fact, we proposed and tested an initial trust theoretical model for user adoption of m-payment systems. The model not only theorizes the role of initial trust in m-payment adoption, but also identifies the facilitators and inhibitors for a user's initial trust formation in m-payment systems. The model is empirically validated via a sample of 851 potential m-payment adopters in Australia. Partial least squares structural equation modelling is used to assess the relationships of the research model. The results indicate that perceived information quality, perceived system quality, and perceived service quality as the initial trust facilitators are positively related to initial trust formation, while perceived uncertainty as the initial trust inhibitor exerts a significant negative effect on initial trust. Perceived asset specificity is found to have insignificant effect. In addition, the results show that initial trust positively affects perceived benefit and perceived convenience, and these three factors together predict usage intention. Perceived convenience of m-payment is also found to have a positive effect on perceived benefit. The findings of this study provide several important implications for m-payment adoption research and practice.