E-wallet Adoption amidst COVID Era: An Empirical Intervention with Extended UTAUT2

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the factors affecting adoption of e-wallets in COVID era. UTAUT 2 model was adapted in the study to analyse behavioral intention of users towards e-wallets. Additionally, impact of three constructs namely, perceived risk, trust and perceived COVID threat along with the recognized factors of UTAUT 2 model was studied on behavioral intention of users towards e-wallets. Primary data was collected through questionnaire method from 358 respondents from Punjab (India). The results revealed that all the constructs of UTAUT 2 model influenced behavioural intention to adopt e-wallets except hedonic motivation. Perceived risk was not found as determinant of behavioural intention to adopt ewallets. Perceived COVID threat was found to be the most influential factor in predicting the behavioural intentions regarding e-wallets followed by trust and social influence. The decisions about marketing and regularizing of e-wallets in terms of its features, applications and its performance can be taken considering the findings of this study.