Key drivers shaping adoption of BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) payments by consumers
Key drivers shaping adoption of BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) payments by consumers

Summary/Abstract: Research background: BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) is a rapidly growing area of fintech that is changing the way consumers manage their finances and make purchases online. The rationale for undertaking research of the factors underlying the adoption of this payment method is the innovation of the subject matter and the practical importance of the findings for BNPL providers and regulatory institutions. Our research provides a better understanding of consumer needs and behavior, which can lead to more effective marketing strategies and regulatory action to protect consumers, and promote responsible lending and borrowing. In addition, the limited number of investigations on what makes people choose BNPL and the lack of studies relating to the reasons why consumers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) opt for deferred payments also indicate the need for such research. Purpose of the article: To identify and assess the factors that influence consumers' adoption of BNPL payments in Poland. Methods: Critical analysis of the source literature, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Empirical data is from a survey conducted in August 2024 using the CAWI method on a sample of 350 Poles. Findings & value added: The study identifies factors influencing the adoption of BNPL payments by consumers in Poland. These include perceived usefulness (PU), risk (PR), and personal innovation (PI). Perceived trust (PT), however, does not have a statistically significant effect on adoption attitudes (ATT). Similarly, perceived ease of use (PEOU) does not directly influence attitudes (ATT). The paper fills a gap in the literature, as most of the research on BNPL to date has focused on the Anglo-Saxon and Asian markets, while the CEE context has not yet been explored. This is the first research study to present, based on the TAM model, the identification of factors of BNPL adoption by Polish consumers, where the digital payments market is the fastest growing in CEE. Beyond its national relevance, the study offers a new conceptual contribution to global fintech literature by demonstrating how the determinants of BNPL adoption evolve with the digital maturity of a market. Unlike results from Anglo-Saxon and Asian contexts--where perceived ease of use and trust are key drivers--our findings indicate that in post-emerging markets such as Poland, these classical TAM constructs lose explanatory power in favor of perceived usefulness, perceived risk, and personal innovativeness. This maturity-dependent shift in adoption mechanisms can inform cross-country comparisons and theoretical modelling of fintech adoption in diverse economies. Hence, the study provides a transferable analytical framework valuable for international researchers and practitioners seeking to understand how fintech adoption differs between mature, emerging, and developing markets.

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