Financial Experiences, Beliefs, and Near Field Communication (NFC) based Mobile Payments among Young Adults

Written By: Haidong Zhao, Lini Zhang, and Sophia Anong

This study examined a conceptual model on the intention to adopt NFC-based mobile payment that incorporates financial experiences and beliefs. NFC refers to Near Field Communication, a new technology in mobile payments. From an online experimental survey of 463 U.S. young adults, this research found consumers who used cards among their payment methods as opposed to cash-only were less likely to adopt NFC mobile payment. Previous experience in non-NFC mobile payments had a significant positive association with intention to adopt NFC mobile payment. Among the beliefs, consumers with higher trust and higher perceived usefulness about NFC mobile payment had greater intentions to adopt it. Moreover, trust was found to have a mediating effect between non-NFC mobile payment experience and the intention to adopt NFC mobile payment. This study not only provides mobile payment providers with effective marketing strategies to increase consumers’ adoption of NFC mobile payment but also provides financial educators with important implications to develop targeted education programs.