The contradictory influences of traditional-bank customers’ digital banking prior usage experience on intention to postpone the use of digital-only banks
(A2023-114434)

AUTHORS

Jacques Nel, University of the Free State; Christo Boshoff, stellenbosch University

ABSTRACT

Digital-only banks have emerged as challengers to traditional banks, but their success has not been as widespread as expected. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed their weaknesses, while traditional banks are improving their services to counter digital-only banks. In response to this dilemma faced by digital-only banks, this study investigates how traditional-bank customers’ digital banking usage experience influences their postponement of using a digital-only bank. A model of postponement behavior was developed incorporating adoption barriers and traditional-bank customers’ prior usage experience of digital-banking services. Data was collected from 613 customers of traditional banks to test the model. The results showed that traditional-bank customers’ digital-banking usage experience reduced the adoption barriers, but directly increased postponement behavior. The study provides insights that digital-only bank executives can use to develop marketing actions to mitigate postponing behavior.