Barriers toward the adoption of mobile payment for Vietnamese consumers in rural areas

Nguyen Van  Phuong; Le Thi Bich  Ngoc; Tran Van  Hiep; Ly Thu Cuc

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2025073

Keywords:

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the impact of barriers on the intention to use mobile payment services among rural residents in various provinces of Vietnam. Barriers were categorized into two groups: "Functional barriers" and "Psychological barriers," which play crucial roles in shaping decisions regarding behavioral innovation. The research was conducted through an online survey of 484 rural residents in three provinces: Son La, Da Nang, and An Giang, representing the Northern, Central, and Southern regions of Vietnam. These provinces also represent the mountainous, coastal, and delta regions of the country. Data were processed using Smart PLS 4.1 software, applying the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method to test the proposed hypotheses in the study. The research findings indicate that factors, including barriers such as usage, value, risk, and tradition, exert counteractive effects on the intention to use mobile payment services. Specifically, functional barriers like perceived usage complexity and value concerns were found to significantly reduce the likelihood of adopting mobile payments. Psychological barriers related to traditional practices also hindered adoption, highlighting the deep-rooted cultural influences in rural areas. However, there is no evidence to support the impact of image barriers on the intention to use mobile payment services among rural residents. This suggests that concerns about social perception and status may be less relevant in rural contexts compared to functional and psychological considerations. Based on the research results, the authors propose managerial implications aimed at fostering the intention to use mobile payment services. These recommendations include enhancing user education and training to reduce functional barriers, as well as culturally sensitive marketing strategies to address psychological barriers. By addressing these barriers effectively, it is possible to increase the adoption of mobile payment services, thereby contributing to the attraction and development of new technology-driven service applications in commercial transactions.
References
1. Agwu, E. (2013). From Reluctance to Resistance-Study of Internet Banking Services Adoption in the United Kingdom. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 18. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijcrmm.2013100103
2. Ahmed Memon, N., Murtaza Shah, G., & Tunio, G. (2022). Barriers toward Adoption of Mobile Payment in Pakistan. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 3(2), 180-190. https://doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2022(3-II)17
3. Ahn, S. Y., & Nam, Y. (2022). Does mobile payment use lead to overspending? The moderating role of financial knowledge. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107319. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107319
4. Barnard, Z., & Humbani, M. (2022). The Effect of Perceived Risk on Value and Adoption of Proximity Mobile Payments. Southern African Business Review, 25. https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/9989
5. Borraz-Mora, J., Bordonaba-Juste, V., & Redondo, Y. (2017). Functional barriers to the adoption of electronic banking: The moderating effect of gender. Revista de Economia Aplicada, 25, 87-107.
6. Changchit, C., Changchit, C., Cutshall, R., Pham, L., & Rao, M. (2023). Understanding the Determinants of Customer Intention to Use Mobile Payment: The Vietnamese Perspective. Journal of Global Information Management, 31, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.319740
7. Chen, C.-C., Chang, C.-H., & Hsiao, K.-L. (2022). Exploring the factors of using mobile ticketing applications: Perspectives from innovation resistance theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 67, 102974. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102974
8. de Luna, I. R., Liébana-Cabanillas, F., Sánchez-Fernández, J., & Muñoz-Leiva, F. (2019). Mobile payment is not all the same: The adoption of mobile payment systems depending on the technology applied. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 931-944. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.09.018
9. Dotzauer, K., & Haiss, F. (2017). Barriers towards the adoption of mobile payment services : An empirical investigation of consumer resistance in the context of Germany.
10. Dutot, V., Bhatiasevi, V., & Bellallahom, N. (2019). Applying the technology acceptance model in a three-countries study of smartwatch adoption. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2019.02.001
11. Duy, N., & Giang, N. T. P. (2022). Contactless Payments through E-wallets on Mobile Devices in the Context of Covid 19 at VietNam. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCWC54503.2022.9720868
12. Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1991). The Meaning and Measurement of Destination Image. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 14, 37-48.
13. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 382-388. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3150980
14. Gupta, A., & Arora, N. (2017). Understanding determinants and barriers of mobile shopping adoption using behavioral reasoning theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 36, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.12.012
15. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to Use and How to Report the Results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31, 2-24. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
16. Himel, M. T. A., Ashraf, S., Bappy, T. A., Abir, M. T., Morshed, M. K., & Hossain, M. N. (2021). Users' attitude and intention to use mobile financial services in Bangladesh: an empirical study. South Asian Journal of Marketing, 2(1), 72-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJM-02-2021-0015
17. Hong, Y.-H., Lin, T. T., & Ang, P. H. (2015). Innovation resistance of political websites and blogs among Internet users in Singapore. Journal of Comparative Asian Development, 14(1), 110-136.
18. Huyền, N. T. P., & Hà, N. V. (2022). Những nhân tố rào cản trong ý định sử dụng và giới thiệu dịch vụ thanh toán di động của người tiêu dùng tại Việt Nam. Khoa học thương mại, 168, 59-71.
19. Joachim, V., Spieth, P., & Heidenreich, S. (2018). Active innovation resistance: An empirical study on functional and psychological barriers to innovation adoption in different contexts. Industrial Marketing Management, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.12.011
20. Kaur, P., Dhir, A., Singh, N., Sahu, G., & Almotairi, M. (2020). An innovation resistance theory perspective on mobile payment solutions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, 102059. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102059
21. Khanra, S., Joseph, R. P., Dhir, A., & Kaur, P. (2020). Antecedents of the barriers toward the adoption of Unified Payment Interface. International working conference on transfer and diffusion of IT,
22. Lau, U., Lee, L., Lew, D., Loo, L., Ooi, S., Lee, V., Loh, X., & Tan, G. (2022). Mobile Payment Adoption: Barriers for Baby Boomers in Malaysia. In (pp. 568-579). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82616-1_47
23. Lee, G., & Kim, Y. (2022). Effects of Resistance Barriers to Service Robots on Alternative Attractiveness and Intention to Use. SAGE Open, 12(2), 21582440221099293. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221099293
24. León, C. (2021). The adoption of a mobile payment system: the user perspective. Latin American Journal of Central Banking, 2(4), 100042. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.latcb.2021.100042
25. Li, X., Zhu, X., Lu, Y., Shi, D., & Deng, W. (2023). Understanding the continuous usage of mobile payment integrated into social media platform: The case of WeChat Pay. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 60, 101275. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2023.101275
26. Liên, N. T. P. (2021). Giải pháp phát triển thanh toán không dùng tiền mặt tại Việt Nam. Khoa học thương mại, 152, 2-8.
27. Lin, C.-W., Lee, S.-S., Tang, K.-Y., Kang, Y.-X., Lin, C.-C., & Lin, Y.-S. (2019). Exploring the users behavior intention on mobile payment by using TAM and IRT. Proceedings of the 2019 3rd International Conference on E-Society, E-Education and E-Technology,
28. Memon, N. A., Shah, G. M., & Tunio, G. (2022). Barriers toward Adoption of Mobile Payment in Pakistan. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 3(2), 180-190.
29. Migliore, G., Wagner, R., Cechella, F. S., & Liébana-Cabanillas, F. (2022). Antecedents to the Adoption of Mobile Payment in China and Italy: an Integration of UTAUT2 and Innovation Resistance Theory. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(6), 2099-2122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10237-2
30. Moorthy, K., Ling, C. S., Fatt, Y. W., Yee, C. M., Yin, E. C. K., Yee, K. S., & Wei, L. K. (2017). Barriers of Mobile Commerce Adoption Intention: Perceptions of Generation X in Malaysia. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 12, 37-53.
31. Moorthy, M., Ling, C., Fatt, Y., Yee, C., Yin, E., Yee, K., & Wei, L. (2017). Barriers of Mobile Commerce Adoption Intention: Perceptions of Generation X in Malaysia. Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research, 12, 37-53. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762017000200004
32. Nguyen, T.-D., & Le, K.-D. (2021). PLS-SEM approach in measuring the impact of influencing factors on user's perceived security and trust in e-payment -The case of rural areas in Vietnam. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 11, 357-364. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.04.2021.p11249
33. Nguyen, T. A., Pham, H. C., Dick, M., & Richardson, J. (2021). Trust types and mediating effect of consumer trust in m-payment adoption: an empirical examination of vietnamese consumers. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 25.
34. Nguyen, T. P. L., & Nguyen, V. H. (2020). Factors affecting online payment method decision behavior of consumers in Vietnam. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(10), 231-240.
35. Park, I., Kim, D., Moon, J., Kim, S., Kang, Y., & Bae, S. (2022). Searching for New Technology Acceptance Model under Social Context: Analyzing the Determinants of Acceptance of Intelligent Information Technology in Digital Transformation and Implications for the Requisites of Digital Sustainability. Sustainability, 14(1), 579. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/579
36. Pramana, E. (2021). The Mobile Payment Adoption: A Systematic Literature Review. https://doi.org/10.1109/EIConCIT50028.2021.9431846
37. Ram, S., & Sheth, J. (1989). Consumer Resistance to Innovations: The Marketing Problem and Its Solutions. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 6, 5+. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000002542
38. Rombe, E., Zahara, Z., Santi, I., & Rahadhini, M. (2021). Exploring e-mobile banking implementation barriers on Indonesian millennial generation consumers. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 5(4), 579-586.
39. Sarstedt, M., & Cheah, J.-H. (2019). Partial least squares structural equation modeling usingSmartPLS: A software review. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 7(3), 196–202
40. Talwar, S., Talwar, M., Kaur, P., & Dhir, A. (2020). Consumers’ resistance to digital innovations: A systematic review and framework development. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 28(4), 286-299. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.06.014
41. Thanh, L. T. (2020). Thanh toán không dùng tiền mặt tại Việt Nam: thực trạng và giải pháp. Tài chính-kinh doanh, 47-50.
42. Wang, Y., Han, M., Wang, Y., & Shafiee, S. (2023). An empirical study on customers’ behavior of passive and active resistance to innovation. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(1), 2179515. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2023.2179515
43. Wei, M.-F., Luh, Y.-H., Huang, Y.-H., & Chang, Y.-C. (2021). Young Generation’s Mobile Payment Adoption Behavior: Analysis Based on an Extended UTAUT Model. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 16, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16010001
44. Yen, V. T. H., & Duong, N. D. (2023). The Factors of Consumer Intension of Using Mobile Payment in Vietnam. International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 8(8), 56.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Phuong, N. V., Ngoc, L. T. B., Hiep, T. V., & Cuc, L. T. (2024). Barriers toward the adoption of mobile payment for Vietnamese consumers in rural areas. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(2), 2025073. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025073

[1] Agwu, E. (2013). From Reluctance to Resistance-Study of Internet Banking Services Adoption in the United Kingdom. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 18. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijcrmm.2013100103

[2] Ahmed Memon, N., Murtaza Shah, G., & Tunio, G. (2022). Barriers toward Adoption of Mobile Payment in Pakistan. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 3(2), 180-190. https://doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2022(3-II)17

[3] Ahn, S. Y., & Nam, Y. (2022). Does mobile payment use lead to overspending? The moderating role of financial knowledge. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107319. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107319

[4] Barnard, Z., & Humbani, M. (2022). The Effect of Perceived Risk on Value and Adoption of Proximity Mobile Payments. Southern African Business Review, 25. https://doi.org/10.25159/1998-8125/9989

[5] Borraz-Mora, J., Bordonaba-Juste, V., & Redondo, Y. (2017). Functional barriers to the adoption of electronic banking: The moderating effect of gender. Revista de Economia Aplicada, 25, 87-107.

[6] Changchit, C., Changchit, C., Cutshall, R., Pham, L., & Rao, M. (2023). Understanding the Determinants of Customer Intention to Use Mobile Payment: The Vietnamese Perspective. Journal of Global Information Management, 31, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.319740

[7] Chen, C.-C., Chang, C.-H., & Hsiao, K.-L. (2022). Exploring the factors of using mobile ticketing applications: Perspectives from innovation resistance theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 67, 102974. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102974

[8] de Luna, I. R., Liébana-Cabanillas, F., Sánchez-Fernández, J., & Muñoz-Leiva, F. (2019). Mobile payment is not all the same: The adoption of mobile payment systems depending on the technology applied. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 931-944. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.09.018

[9] Dotzauer, K., & Haiss, F. (2017). Barriers towards the adoption of mobile payment services : An empirical investigation of consumer resistance in the context of Germany.

[10] Dutot, V., Bhatiasevi, V., & Bellallahom, N. (2019). Applying the technology acceptance model in a three-countries study of smartwatch adoption. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2019.02.001

[11] Duy, N., & Giang, N. T. P. (2022). Contactless Payments through E-wallets on Mobile Devices in the Context of Covid 19 at VietNam. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCWC54503.2022.9720868

[12] Echtner, C. M., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (1991). The Meaning and Measurement of Destination Image. The Journal of Tourism Studies, 14, 37-48.

[13] Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 382-388. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3150980

[14] Gupta, A., & Arora, N. (2017). Understanding determinants and barriers of mobile shopping adoption using behavioral reasoning theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 36, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.12.012

[15] Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to Use and How to Report the Results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31, 2-24. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

[16] Himel, M. T. A., Ashraf, S., Bappy, T. A., Abir, M. T., Morshed, M. K., & Hossain, M. N. (2021). Users' attitude and intention to use mobile financial services in Bangladesh: an empirical study. South Asian Journal of Marketing, 2(1), 72-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJM-02-2021-0015

[17] Hong, Y.-H., Lin, T. T., & Ang, P. H. (2015). Innovation resistance of political websites and blogs among Internet users in Singapore. Journal of Comparative Asian Development, 14(1), 110-136.

[18] Huyền, N. T. P., & Hà, N. V. (2022). Những nhân tố rào cản trong ý định sử dụng và giới thiệu dịch vụ thanh toán di động của người tiêu dùng tại Việt Nam. Khoa học thương mại, 168, 59-71.

[19] Joachim, V., Spieth, P., & Heidenreich, S. (2018). Active innovation resistance: An empirical study on functional and psychological barriers to innovation adoption in different contexts. Industrial Marketing Management, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.12.011

[20] Kaur, P., Dhir, A., Singh, N., Sahu, G., & Almotairi, M. (2020). An innovation resistance theory perspective on mobile payment solutions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, 102059. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102059

[21] Khanra, S., Joseph, R. P., Dhir, A., & Kaur, P. (2020). Antecedents of the barriers toward the adoption of Unified Payment Interface. International working conference on transfer and diffusion of IT,

[22] Lau, U., Lee, L., Lew, D., Loo, L., Ooi, S., Lee, V., Loh, X., & Tan, G. (2022). Mobile Payment Adoption: Barriers for Baby Boomers in Malaysia. In (pp. 568-579). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82616-1_47

[23] Lee, G., & Kim, Y. (2022). Effects of Resistance Barriers to Service Robots on Alternative Attractiveness and Intention to Use. SAGE Open, 12(2), 21582440221099293. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221099293

[24] León, C. (2021). The adoption of a mobile payment system: the user perspective. Latin American Journal of Central Banking, 2(4), 100042. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.latcb.2021.100042

[25] Li, X., Zhu, X., Lu, Y., Shi, D., & Deng, W. (2023). Understanding the continuous usage of mobile payment integrated into social media platform: The case of WeChat Pay. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 60, 101275. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2023.101275

[26] Liên, N. T. P. (2021). Giải pháp phát triển thanh toán không dùng tiền mặt tại Việt Nam. Khoa học thương mại, 152, 2-8.

[27] Lin, C.-W., Lee, S.-S., Tang, K.-Y., Kang, Y.-X., Lin, C.-C., & Lin, Y.-S. (2019). Exploring the users behavior intention on mobile payment by using TAM and IRT. Proceedings of the 2019 3rd International Conference on E-Society, E-Education and E-Technology,

[28] Memon, N. A., Shah, G. M., & Tunio, G. (2022). Barriers toward Adoption of Mobile Payment in Pakistan. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 3(2), 180-190.

[29] Migliore, G., Wagner, R., Cechella, F. S., & Liébana-Cabanillas, F. (2022). Antecedents to the Adoption of Mobile Payment in China and Italy: an Integration of UTAUT2 and Innovation Resistance Theory. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(6), 2099-2122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10237-2

[30] Moorthy, K., Ling, C. S., Fatt, Y. W., Yee, C. M., Yin, E. C. K., Yee, K. S., & Wei, L. K. (2017). Barriers of Mobile Commerce Adoption Intention: Perceptions of Generation X in Malaysia. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res., 12, 37-53.

[31] Moorthy, M., Ling, C., Fatt, Y., Yee, C., Yin, E., Yee, K., & Wei, L. (2017). Barriers of Mobile Commerce Adoption Intention: Perceptions of Generation X in Malaysia. Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research, 12, 37-53. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-18762017000200004

[32] Nguyen, T.-D., & Le, K.-D. (2021). PLS-SEM approach in measuring the impact of influencing factors on user's perceived security and trust in e-payment -The case of rural areas in Vietnam. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 11, 357-364. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.11.04.2021.p11249

[33] Nguyen, T. A., Pham, H. C., Dick, M., & Richardson, J. (2021). Trust types and mediating effect of consumer trust in m-payment adoption: an empirical examination of vietnamese consumers. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 25.

[34] Nguyen, T. P. L., & Nguyen, V. H. (2020). Factors affecting online payment method decision behavior of consumers in Vietnam. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(10), 231-240.

[35] Park, I., Kim, D., Moon, J., Kim, S., Kang, Y., & Bae, S. (2022). Searching for New Technology Acceptance Model under Social Context: Analyzing the Determinants of Acceptance of Intelligent Information Technology in Digital Transformation and Implications for the Requisites of Digital Sustainability. Sustainability, 14(1), 579. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/1/579

[36] Pramana, E. (2021). The Mobile Payment Adoption: A Systematic Literature Review. https://doi.org/10.1109/EIConCIT50028.2021.9431846

[37] Ram, S., & Sheth, J. (1989). Consumer Resistance to Innovations: The Marketing Problem and Its Solutions. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 6, 5+. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000002542

[38] Rombe, E., Zahara, Z., Santi, I., & Rahadhini, M. (2021). Exploring e-mobile banking implementation barriers on Indonesian millennial generation consumers. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 5(4), 579-586.

[39] Sarstedt, M., & Cheah, J.-H. (2019). Partial least squares structural equation modeling usingSmartPLS: A software review. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 7(3), 196–202

[40] Talwar, S., Talwar, M., Kaur, P., & Dhir, A. (2020). Consumers’ resistance to digital innovations: A systematic review and framework development. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 28(4), 286-299. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.06.014

[41] Thanh, L. T. (2020). Thanh toán không dùng tiền mặt tại Việt Nam: thực trạng và giải pháp. Tài chính-kinh doanh, 47-50.

[42] Wang, Y., Han, M., Wang, Y., & Shafiee, S. (2023). An empirical study on customers’ behavior of passive and active resistance to innovation. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 36(1), 2179515. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2023.2179515

[43] Wei, M.-F., Luh, Y.-H., Huang, Y.-H., & Chang, Y.-C. (2021). Young Generation’s Mobile Payment Adoption Behavior: Analysis Based on an Extended UTAUT Model. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 16, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer16010001

[44] Yen, V. T. H., & Duong, N. D. (2023). The Factors of Consumer Intension of Using Mobile Payment in Vietnam. International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 8(8), 56.

Abstract

References

How to cite