<![CDATA[This study examines the effect of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on consumer debt management through Paylater use among university students in Mataram City. A quantitative approach was employed using primary survey data. The sample consisted of 133 students with complete responses. FOMO was measured using five statements covering fear of being left behind by trends, attention to social media trends, desire to possess items owned by others, and fear of missing promotional opportunities. Paylater use was measured using six statements concerning convenience, insufficient funds, promotions, non-essential purchases, ability-to-pay considerations, and repayment at maturity. Consumer debt management was operationalized through financial management behaviors related to expenditure planning, distinguishing needs from wants, saving, considering financial conditions before purchases, and preparing funds for unexpected needs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability testing, linear regression, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis. The results show that FOMO has a positive and significant effect on Paylater use (β = 0.347; p < 0.001). Paylater use has a positive and significant effect on financial management related to consumer debt (β = 0.171; p = 0.015), while the direct effect of FOMO on financial management is not significant (β = 0.006; p = 0.937). The indirect effect of FOMO through Paylater use is 0.059, with a 95% bootstrap confidence interval of 0.006–0.134. These findings indicate that the relationship between FOMO and financial management in the context of consumer debt operates through Paylater use. The findings have implications for students in assessing repayment capacity and the consequences of digital credit obligations before using Paylater facilities.]]>
