A Systematic Literature Review of FinTech Adoption in SMEs

Most earlier reviews of FinTech adoption have looked at individual consumers, and far fewer have examined small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as organizational adopters. This systematic literature review (SLR) addresses that gap. Following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, we searched Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Emerald, SpringerLink, MDPI, Taylor & Francis, Wiley, and SSRN for studies published between 2020 and 2026. Of the 133 records screened, 88 articles were included, consisting of 74 primary empirical studies and 14 review or background works. The Technology Acceptance Model is the most frequently applied framework (22%), followed by the Technology-Organization-Environment framework (11%). Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust, and organizational readiness appear most consistently as determinants of adoption. The findings give FinTech providers, policymakers, and SME owner-managers an overview of the factors that encourage and hinder FinTech adoption in SMEs.