FinTech Adoption Intention Among Gen Z in Saudi Arabia: Examining the Serial Mediation of User Innovativeness, Perceived Ease of Use, Trust, and Usefulness

The current study advanced and checked a conceptual model which sought to explore the ways that User Innovativeness (UI), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), and Perceived Trust (PT) interplay in a serial mediation model leading to a better understanding of the predictors affecting the FinTech adoption intention (FAI) of Gen Z students in Saudi Arabia by combining the Individual Innovativeness Theory (IIT) with the Extended Technology Acceptance Model (ETAM). The study focused on this youth segment in particular, acknowledging its importance as a driver of the future of digital finance in the kingdom. For this purpose, a purposive sample of 205 university students from a public university in Saudi Arabia was included in the study. The sample consisted of 143 males and 62 females, which was representative of the Gen Z student body. The statistical analysis tool used to test and validate the proposed theoretical framework was Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the help of SPSS-AMOS (Version 27.0), which provides a strong platform for an in-depth understanding of the complex associations between the determinants. The analysis results indicate several essential insights. First, it was found that UI had a positive and statistically significant effect on FAI (β = 0.199, p = 0.015), suggesting that innovative students are more likely to adopt FinTech products. Furthermore, PEOU (β = 0.117, p = 0.001) and PU (β = 0.054, p = 0.020) mediated partially between UI and FAI, indicating that such perceptions are essential in facilitating innovativeness to behavioral intention. Second, PT was found not only to mediate the relationship between UI and FAI partially (β = 0.051, p = 0.040), but also to mediate the relationship between PEOU and PU (β = 0.059, p = 0.045). Finally, the present study revealed that serially, PEOU, PT, and PU intervened in the relationship between UI and FAI (β = 0.006, p = 0.022), indicating a manifold, contiguous progression toward usage. These results carry important policy and strategic implications. They align with the overall objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which aim to drive digital transformation, financial inclusion, and a sustainable digital economy. These findings for FinTech companies and public agencies suggest that target-oriented programs can increase trust, ease of use, and perceived usefulness of FinTech platforms, ultimately leading to greater adoption among young people.