PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF BUY-NOW-PAY-LATER ON IMPULSE PURCHASES BEHAVIOR AMONG GENZ MOBILE PHONE USERS.
Keywords:
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), Generation Z, Impulse Purchase Behavior, Mobile Phone Consumers, Perceived Risk and Perceived UsefulnessAbstract
This study investigated the psychological determinants of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) usage on impulse purchase behavior among Generation Z mobile phone users in Nigeria. The research explores how three core dimensions of BNPL (Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Value (PV), and Perceived Risk (PR)) influence impulsive buying tendencies. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, targeting 300 Gen Z consumers aged 18–27 with prior BNPL experience. Participants were selected through purposive sampling from leading mobile phone outlets in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Data were gathered via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that Perceived Risk has a significant negative relationship with impulse purchase behavior, suggesting that reduced risk perceptions may amplify impulsive tendencies. Perceived Value demonstrates a moderate positive influence, indicating that value-for-money perceptions enhance the likelihood of spontaneous purchases. Conversely, Perceived Usefulness shows minimal effect, implying that utilitarian benefits play a lesser role in impulse-driven decisions. The study recommends that mobile phone retailers reduce perceived risk through secure payment frameworks and flexible return policies, emphasize value-centric promotions, and shift focus away from overly technical product attributes when marketing BNPL offerings to impulsive buyers.
