INFLUENCE OF PERCEIVED TRUST IN RURAL CONSUMER MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE ADOPTION: AN UNDERSTANDING OF MODERATION EFFECTS OF GENDER AND AGE

Abstract

Mobile Payment Services present a noble potential to increase financial inclusiveness by extending access to financial services to rural consumers, which have to contend with severely access to traditional financial facilities such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), bank branches and other financial institutions. Despite the potential that mobile payment services offer, perceived uncertainties present one of the causes behind low consumer mobile payment services adoption in rural areas. Yet, the extent to which perceived trust influence behavioural intention to adopt mobile payment services in Tanzania differ among younger and older rural consumers, and, female and male rural consumers has not been made clear and/or undocumented. A recent survey conducted in Pwani (Coast) region employed the Partial Least Square- Structure Equation Model (PLS-SEM) method to test established research model which involved two constructs and two moderators: perceived trust constructs, which was moderated by age and gender, and behavioural intention constructs adopted from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The analysis has established that perceived trust strongly and positively influences the adoption of mobile payment services in rural areas; however,  the group moderation effects of gender and age were found not to be statistically significant, hence calling  for mechanisms aimed to reduce uncertainties that consumers encounter in using mobile payment systems in all age groups and both genders since they give the same impetus to the perception of trust matters, and the presence of adequate structural assurance such as regulations and safeguards relating to usage of mobile payment systems in the country.