When access leads to ownership: Explaining ownership rebound in access-based services

Purpose Access-based services (ABS) allow customers to enjoy product benefits without assuming the risks and responsibilities associated with ownership. This study investigates why and how ABS users may transition toward product ownership in a context where access-based services constitute consumers’ initial point of market entry. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 430 e-scooter rental customers was conducted using established service research scales to measure compatibility, loyalty, usage frequency, attitudes toward product ownership, and purchase intention. The relationships among these constructs were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The results show that loyalty to e-scooter rental services and their compatibility with users’ mobility needs are positively associated with rental frequency, which in turn influences purchase intention. Attitudes toward product ownership have a direct positive effect on purchase intention and moderate the relationship between rental frequency and purchase intention. In addition, compatibility positively moderates the relationship between service loyalty and rental frequency. Research limitations/implications This study extends ABS research by challenging substitution-based assumptions that position access and ownership as mutually exclusive consumption modes. It shows instead how repeated ABS engagement may coexist with, and potentially reinforce, ownership-oriented attitudes and intentions. Practical implications The findings help ABS providers, retailers, and manufacturers better understand when service use may stimulate downstream product demand. This has implications for service design, customer segmentation, and partnerships between access providers and product sellers. Originality/value In contrast to prior studies that focus on the shift from ownership to access, this research conceptualizes the transition from access to ownership as ownership rebound and highlights the coexistence of ABS and product ownership. The results suggest that loyalty to ABS does not necessarily diminish intentions to purchase products accessed through those services when users perceive meaningful ownership benefits.