Factors influencing customers' usage of e-payment in Klang valley

The rapid growth of digital technology has accelerated the adoption of electronic payment (e-payment) systems, particularly in urban areas such as the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Despite widespread availability, variations in usage behavior suggest that multiple factors influence consumers' willingness to adopt e-payment services. This study was conducted to examine the factors influencing customers' usage of e-payment in the Klang Valley, focusing on convenience, security, and speed, with social influence examined as a mediating variable. A quantitative research design was employed using a cross-sectional survey approach. Data were collected from 208 e-payment users residing in the Klang Valley through a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), incorporating descriptive analysis, reliability testing, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that convenience and speed have a significant positive relationship with customers' usage of e-payment. In contrast, security was found to have no direct significant relationship with e-payment usage. However, social influence significantly mediated the relationships between convenience and e-payment usage, as well as between security and e-payment usage, indicating that peer influence and social endorsement play a critical role in shaping consumer behavior. These results suggest that while technical factors remain important, social dynamics significantly enhance adoption decisions. This study contributes to the existing literature by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) through the inclusion of social influence as a mediating variable in the Malaysian e-payment context. The findings provide practical implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and fintech service providers by highlighting the importance of enhancing user convenience, improving transaction efficiency, and leveraging social influence to promote e-payment adoption.