Digital transformation of online payments: interface design and customer service roles in E-wallet adoption in Vietnam

In the context of advancing financial inclusion in developing economies, e-wallets have emerged as essential enablers of user access and engagement. This study examines the factors influencing Generation Z's intention to adopt e-wallets, a digitally native cohort likely to drive the future of financial technology adoption. Based on a structured survey of 480 Gen Z respondents from four major cities in Vietnam, the research utilizes Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the impact of key determinants, including mobile ease of use (MEOU), mobile usefulness (MU), privacy and security (PS), interface design (ID), customer service (CS), and preferential treatment (PF). The findings indicate that MEOU, MU, PS, and PF significantly influence Gen Z's intention to use e-wallets. Moreover, ID and CS, which have received limited attention in prior models, also exhibit statistically significant effects, albeit of lesser magnitude. These results extend the Mobile Technology Acceptance Model by incorporating emerging experiential and service-related factors, providing both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for designing e-wallet platforms that meet the needs of digitally native users in emerging economies.