The Effect of Shopee PayLater Usage Intention on Impulse buying Behavior among Generation Z with Religiosity as a Moderating Variable

Abstract

The increasing use of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services has raised concerns about impulse buying behavior, particularly among Generation Z. This study aims to examine the effect of intention to use Shopee PayLater on impulse buying behavior and the moderating role of religiosity in this relationship. The study employed an explanatory quantitative approach using primary data collected through an online questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. A total of 130 Generation Z respondents residing in Semarang City who had used Shopee PayLater were selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. The results indicate that intention to use Shopee PayLater has a positive and statistically significant relationship with impulse buying behavior (β = 0.543; t = 8.001; p < 0.001). However, religiosity does not significantly moderate this relationship (β = −0.026; t = 0.352; p = 0.725). The model explains 30% of the variance in impulse buying behavior, as indicated by the R² value of 0.300. These findings suggest that stronger intention to use Shopee PayLater is associated with greater impulse buying behavior among the respondents, while the proposed moderating role of religiosity is not supported by the data. The findings highlight the importance of responsible use of digital financial services and improved consumer self-control to help reduce unplanned purchases.