The double-edged sword of convenience: decoding youth intentions to embrace Buy-Now-Pay-Later in Sarawak

This study investigates the behavioral drivers influencing the adoption of Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) services among youth in Sarawak, with a specific focus on the moderating role of perceived convenience within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Data were collected from a representative sample of Sarawakian youth to examine the relationships between attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the intention to use BNPL services. The findings confirm that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predict BNPL adoption intentions. Notably, perceived convenience emerged as a significant moderator in the relationship between subjective norms and behavioral intentions, albeit with an unexpected negative standard beta coefficient. This highlights a nuanced paradox where higher convenience strengthens social influences but may simultaneously generate skepticism about transparency and trustworthiness. The study underpins the relevance and importance of financial literacy programs and trust-building measures to address these concerns. Furthermore, BNPL service providers are encouraged to balance simplicity with transparency and leverage social endorsements to enhance adoption. The theoretical implications extend the TPB framework by integrating perceived convenience, while practical recommendations target policymakers and providers to promote responsible and inclusive BNPL usage in Sarawak's diverse socio-economic landscape. Future research avenues are also discussed.