From Pleasure to Purchase: Impulse Buying and Financial Capability in Mobile Wallet Usage

This study investigates how perceived enjoyment influences impulsive buying in the context of mobile wallet usage, extending the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework by incorporating financial capability as a boundary condition. Survey data were collected from 215 Generation Y consumers in a European digital market where mobile payment adoption is growing but not yet universal. Constructs were measured using validated multi-item scales, and the data were analysed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results reveal that perceived enjoyment significantly mediates the effects of interactivity, visual appeal, transaction convenience, and subjective norms on impulsive buying behavior. Transaction convenience and visual appeal emerged as the strongest predictors of enjoyment, highlighting the importance of frictionless and aesthetically engaging digital experiences. Furthermore, financial capability was found to moderate the enjoyment–impulse link, suggesting that consumers with higher financial literacy and confidence are more likely to translate hedonic experiences into spontaneous purchases. These findings contribute to digital consumer behavior literature by clarifying the affective mechanisms driving impulse buying in fintech environments and by introducing financial capability as a key moderating construct. From a practical perspective, the study offers insights for fintech providers and marketers seeking to balance the design of engaging, hedonic payment environments with the need to promote responsible consumer behavior.