Digital Temptations: A Systematic Review of Impulsive Buying Behaviour in the Era of E-Commerce and Instant Payments

Abstract : The rapid shift toward digital commerce and frictionless payment technologies has fundamentally redefined consumer behaviour, collapsing the temporal and cognitive distance between desire and purchase. This systematic review synthesises empirical findings from 72 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025, exploring how digital payment mechanisms, user interface design, and emotional triggers mediate impulsive buying in online contexts. Using the PRISMA framework, evidence from databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect was qualitatively analysed across four themes: (1) the pain of paying and transaction friction, (2) emotional triggers and interface cues, (3) instant payments and cognitive load, and (4) post-purchase regret and mindfulness gaps. The review reveals that invisible or delayed payments attenuate the psychological discomfort of spending, fostering compulsive tendencies. Emotional and design-based stimuli amplify this vulnerability by targeting cognitive shortcuts and affective biases. The study highlights the growing ethical responsibility of fintech designers and marketers to introduce reflective “ethical frictions” that restore user agency. Future research should adopt cross-cultural and longitudinal methodologies to examine how artificial intelligence, gamification, and digital nudges influence the evolving landscape of digital impulsivity.