Consumers’ acceptance and use of plastic money in Harare, Zimbabwe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 to determine factors influencing acceptance and use of plastic money in Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Using a cross-section of 528 consumers, respondents were randomly intercepted as they walked out of five major supermarkets in Harare, Zimbabwe. Random selection of consumers was done in order to ensure a representative sample. Consumers were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was applied to test research hypotheses. Findings Results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation and habit all positively influenced behavioural intention to adopt plastic money. Social influence, facilitating conditions and perceived financial cost all did not have a significant effect on behavioural intention to adopt plastic money. Behavioural intention positively influenced consumers’ use behaviour on plastic money. Research limitations/implications This study is among the pioneers of research in this field in Zimbabwe and other developing countries. Likewise, caution must be taken when researchers try to generalise findings from this study. It is, therefore, recommended that more studies of this nature be conducted in other developing countries in order to have a more solid understanding of consumers’ adoption of plastic money. Practical implications The study advises banks to pay particular attention to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, hedonic motivation and habit when devising strategies to increase the adoption of plastic money. Originality/value Factors that influence the adoption of plastic money are not widely researched under circumstances such as those existing in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean financial sector provides a unique environment to conduct studies of this nature.