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Fear of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Distancing as Factors Determining the Change in Consumer Payment Behavior at Retail and Service Outlets

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  • Agnieszka Huterska

    (Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, J. Gagarina 13a, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Anna Iwona Piotrowska

    (Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, J. Gagarina 13a, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

  • Joanna Szalacha-Jarmużek

    (Institute of Sociology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Fosa Staromiejska 1a, 87-100 Toruń, Poland)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the factors inducing customers to choose cashless payments made with payment cards at retail and service outlets during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified factors that are crucial for consumers’ functioning under pandemic conditions, but which have so far been neglected in research. The estimated logit model indicates that the variables significantly influencing the more frequent choice of payment cards at retail outlets are related to the fear of infection and perception of the advantages of new technological solutions in connection with social distancing. Our study shows that, in addition to sociodemographic characteristics such as age and level of education, emotionally motivated factors induced by the pandemic have begun to play an important role in the transition to cashless payment.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnieszka Huterska & Anna Iwona Piotrowska & Joanna Szalacha-Jarmużek, 2021. "Fear of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Distancing as Factors Determining the Change in Consumer Payment Behavior at Retail and Service Outlets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:14:p:4191-:d:592344
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kotkowski, Radoslaw, 2023. "National culture and the demand for physical money during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    2. Ola Bareja-Wawryszuk & Tomasz Pajewski & Kübra Müge Çakaröz & Baki Kavas, 2022. "Changes in Consumer Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis between Polish and Turkish Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-11, August.
    3. Batiz-Lazo, Bernardo & Bautista-González, Manuel A & González-Correa, Ignacio, 2021. "La transformación en el uso de efectivo y pagos digitales durante la pandemia de Covid-19 [Thye transformation in the use of cash and digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemioc]," MPRA Paper 109943, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Witold Chmielarz & Marek Zborowski & Alicja Fandrejewska & Mesut Atasever, 2021. "Poland–Turkey Comparison of Mobile Payments Quality in Pandemic Time," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, September.

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