Journal of Management - Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's)
Vol 19 No 2 (2026): JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's)

Impulsive buying behavior as the main driver of college students' intention to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) services

Dewi Khornida Marheni (Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Management, Universitas Internasional Batam)
Felix Fajar Natanael Panjaitan (Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Management, Universitas Internasional Batam)
Yulfiswandi Yulfiswandi (Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Management, Universitas Internasional Batam)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study examines the influence of financial parenting and impulse buying behavior on the intention to use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services among university students, with financial self-efficacy serving as a mediating variable. As BNPL services continue to gain popularity among younger consumers, understanding the behavioural and financial factors that drive adoption has become increasingly important for promoting responsible financial decision-making. Employing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from student respondents and analyzed to assess the direct and indirect relationships among the variables. The findings reveal that financial parenting does not significantly influence either financial self-efficacy or the intention to use BNPL services. Similarly, financial self-efficacy was found to have no significant effect on BNPL usage intention and did not mediate the relationship between financial parenting and BNPL adoption. In contrast, impulse buying behavior exerts a positive and significant influence on the intention to use BNPL, indicating that spontaneous purchasing tendencies are a primary driver of deferred-payment service adoption among students. These findings suggest that psychological and behavioural factors may play a more influential role than financial socialization or self-confidence in financial management when shaping BNPL usage intentions. The study contributes to the growing literature on consumer finance, financial technology adoption, and youth financial behaviour by highlighting the importance of addressing impulsive consumption tendencies through targeted financial education and responsible spending initiatives to reduce future financial vulnerability. Keywords: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL); Financial Parenting; Financial Self-Efficacy;Impulsive Buying; Intention to Use BNPL

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Journal Info

Abbrev

JEM

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Tujuan dari jurnal ini adalah mempublikasikan artikel hasil penelitian dan kajian pustaka yang ditulis oleh dosen, peneliti dan mahasiwa. Adapun lingkup topik dari jurnal ini adalah : 1. Manajemen Umum 2. Manajemen Pemasaran 3. Sumberdaya Manusia 4. Keuangan 5. Manajemen Operasi 6. Manajemen ...