Consumer Adoption Drivers of QR Code-Based Mobile Payment Systems in Southeast Asia

Abstract

QR code-based mobile payment systems have expanded rapidly across Southeast Asian markets, supported by interoperable national payment infrastructure initiatives, yet adoption patterns vary considerably across demographic groups and merchant segments. This study examines consumer-level drivers of sustained QR payment adoption, distinguishing initial trial from continued habitual use across a survey sample spanning urban and peri-urban respondents in several regional markets. Using structural equation modeling, we test how perceived transaction security, merchant acceptance breadth, and social influence from peer usage jointly predict continued adoption, extending prior technology acceptance frameworks with region-specific contextual factors such as informal merchant trust networks. Findings indicate that merchant acceptance breadth exerts the strongest influence on habitual use, outweighing perceived security concerns once initial trial has occurred, suggesting that ecosystem completeness matters more than individual risk perception at the adoption-to-habit transition. Social influence effects were stronger among peri-urban respondents than urban respondents, pointing to differentiated diffusion pathways across settlement types. These findings offer practical guidance for payment providers and policymakers seeking to deepen QR payment penetration beyond early urban adopter segments toward broader financial inclusion goals.