Four Easy Payments, One Difficult Question: Do Behavioural Biases Exhibit Stronger Positive Associations with Buy Now, Pay Later Usage than Financial Necessity?

Sammanfattning

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) has rapidly emerged as a widely adopted payment solution within retail and fintech. While prior research associates BNPL usage with both financial necessity and behavioural biases, these factors have largely been examined separately. This study addresses this gap by comparing the relative influence of financial and behavioural factors on BNPL usage frequency within a single integrated framework. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data from 166 respondents were analysed through descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The findings indicate that certain behavioural variables, particularly mental accounting and instalment preference, exhibit more consistent positive associations with BNPL usage frequency than financial necessity. The study contributes to the BNPL literature by integrating behavioural and financial perspectives and provides implications for retailers, fintech firms, and policymakers regarding consumer decision-making and responsible payment design.