How Does the Need for Uniqueness Affect Facial Recognition Payment Switch Intention? A Status Quo Bias Perspective

Abstract

Despite the growing research interest in facial recognition payment (FRP), the factors that influence the intention to switch to FRP have received limited attention. Grounded in status quo bias theory, this study explores predictors of users’ intention to switch from QR code payment to FRP through an online survey. The empirical findings based on 1,244 responses indicate that the need for uniqueness negatively affects embarrassment, privacy concern, and inertia and positively affects switch intention. Further, embarrassment and privacy concern are both positively related to inertia and negatively related to switch intention, and inertia significantly reduces switch intention. Through multi-group analysis, this study also finds that users with experience using services enabled by facial recognition technology are more willing to switch to FRP. This study enriches the FRP literature by highlighting the roles of inertia and the need for uniqueness and provides several implications for FRP practitioners.

Keywords:

• Facial recognition payment
• need for uniqueness
• embarrassment
• privacy concern
• inertia
• status quo bias theory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72202185; 72302145), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SWU2109521), the Chongqing Social Science Planning Project (2020BS60), and the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (2023M742232).

Notes on contributors

Wei Gao

Wei Gao is an associate professor of the College of Economics and Management at Southwest University. His research has been published in journals including Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, and Electronic Commerce Research and Applications. His research focuses on omnichannel and digital payment.

Ning Jiang

Ning Jiang is a postdoctor of Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His research has been published in journals including Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, and Electronic Commerce Research and Applications. His research focuses on livestreaming and digital payment.

Qingqing Guo

Qingqing Guo is a lecture of the School of Communication at East China University of Political Science and Law. Her research has been published in journals including Computers in Human Behavior, and Electronic Commerce Research and Applications. Her research focuses on consumer psychology in technology.