Effect of Electronic Payment System on Marketing Performance of SMEs in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Although the electronic payment system is regulated, in some instances, most SME owners tend to perceive the new system as a threat due to the high rate of cybercrime, network issues, hanging of transactions, and poor description of payer identity, among others. This study examined the effect of the e-payment system on the marketing performance of selected small and medium-scale enterprises in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. primary data were gathered through a questionnaire administered to owners/managers of SMEs in Akwa Ibom State. The independent variables were the e-payment system (proxied via bank mobile app, POS and digital mobile app) and the dependent variable was performance (proxied via customer patronage). Data obtained for the study were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings showed that POS, Bank mobile app and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) were mostly used which ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Digital wallets, credit card online transactions and the use of crypto-currency for business were ranked 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. The study revealed that the Bank mobile app, use of point of sales (POS) machine, and Digital wallet app have significant effects on customer patronage of small and medium-scale enterprises. The study concluded that the introduction of the e-payment system (cashless policy) has a significant influence on the operation, performance and customer patronage of small and mediumscale businesses in Akwa Ibom State. It was recommended, among others, that SME operators should be trained on how to use electronic payment systems such as electronic fund transfer, mobile banking, internet banking and online remittance.