Factors influencing the acceptance of proximity mobile payment in Germany: The example of Apple Pay

Abstract

This study is one of the first to analyse the factors driving the adoption of proximity mobile payments in Germany, with a specific focus on Apple Pay. It employs a mixed-methods approach based on 14 qualitative interviews with specialists from the financial service sector and a quantitative online survey with 617 participants. The aim is to better understand the factors enhancing and inhibiting the growth of proximity mobile payment solutions, and to generate insights regarding the characteristics of early adopters of Apple Pay in Germany. The authors investigated a range of factors from existing technology acceptance research as well as additional aspects concerning brand perception and sociodemographic factors to identify significant differences between users and non-users of Apple Pay. The most pronounced differences concerned personal willingness to innovate, followed by perceived concerns regarding the risk associated with mobile payments, the perception of Apple as a secure provider, the perceived trustworthiness of technology providers in general, social influences, gender, and the user’s desire to be perceived as tech-savvy. Additionally, the perceived benefits of mobile payments, reasons for non-usage, as well as further potential valueadded services to enhance future user experience were analysed and appropriate recommendations derived.