Fintech Adoption and Acceptance Models
Summary
Fintech adoption and acceptance models synthesise established information-systems theories to explain user engagement with digital financial services. Foundational frameworks such as the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology identify key determinants—perceived usefulness (or performance expectancy), perceived ease of use (or effort expectancy), social influence and facilitating conditions—that shape behavioural intention and actual use. Recent extensions incorporate constructs such as trust, perceived risk and perceived value, as well as privacy enablers and inhibitors, to reflect the complex reality of financial decision-making. Methodologies typically involve structural equation modelling and, increasingly, configurational approaches to reveal how combinations of factors drive adoption, continuance intention and e-loyalty. Empirical studies span diverse regions and user segments, from neobanks and mobile wallets to wealth-management platforms, highlighting global patterns of risk perception, motivational drivers and technological readiness. Practical applications of these models inform design strategies, regulatory frameworks and inclusion initiatives, guiding providers and policymakers in addressing security concerns, enhancing transparency and fostering sustainable growth within the evolving fintech ecosystem.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Research from all publishers
Recent studies have advanced understanding of user intention and behaviour in fintech contexts. A survey of fintech users in Pakistan analysed five dimensions of perceived risk—time, financial, security, social and performance—and found that heightened risk perception reduces adoption intention, suggesting that operational improvements and clear communication are essential to build user confidence. In Saudi Arabia, an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, augmented by privacy enablers and inhibitors, demonstrated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions significantly influence behavioural intention, while privacy enablers bolster trust and drive uptake. Complementary research into gamification of mobile wallets applied a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to reveal that configurations combining effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and perceived value suffice to generate strong adoption intentions, emphasising the role of motivational and contextual factors in service design.
Fintech Adoption and Acceptance Models publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fintech adoption and acceptance models across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): A theoretical framework positing that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use determine user attitudes and intention towards technology adoption.
Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): An integrated model identifying performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions as predictors of behavioural intention and usage behaviour.
Perceived Risk: The user’s assessment of potential losses arising from the use of fintech services, encompassing dimensions such as financial, time and security risks.
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM): A multivariate statistical technique used to test and estimate relationships in adoption models by examining interrelated dependence relationships simultaneously.
Gamification: The application of game design elements in non-game contexts, such as mobile wallets, to enhance user engagement and motivation.
Facilitating Conditions: The degree to which an individual believes that organisational and technical infrastructure exists to support system use.
References
- In quest of perceived risk determinants affecting intention to use fintech: Moderating effects of situational factors. Technological Forecasting and Social Change (2024).
- Behavioral intention to adopt FinTech services: An extension of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity (2023).
- Gamification of mobile wallet as an unconventional innovation for promoting Fintech: An fsQCA approach. Journal of Business Research (2023).
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