Beyond Intention: Understanding Actual Fintech Usage in Rural Vietnam Through Trust and Social Influence

While digital payment services have expanded rapidly in Vietnam, adoption remains uneven in rural areas, where users often face infrastructural limitations and psychological and social barriers. Existing research has primarily focused on behavioral intention and applied fixed theoretical models, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) or Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which may not fully capture the realities of technology use in underserved communities. This study addresses these gaps by examining the effects of trust, perceived risk, and social influence on the actual use of digital payment (DP) services among rural users in northern Vietnam. A structural model was developed and tested using survey data collected from 463 individuals across Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces. Using structural equation modeling, the study finds that both trust and social influence are significant positive predictors of behavioral use, whereas perceived risk does not have a statistically significant impact. Furthermore, demographic factors such as age, education, occupation, income, and household size were unrelated to usage behavior, suggesting that perceptual and social variables outweigh structural ones in determining Fintech engagement in rural contexts. These findings underscore the significance of relational trust and community validation in sustaining digital behavior. By focusing on actual usage rather than intention, this study contributes a more grounded understanding of Fintech adoption. It offers a context-sensitive framework that extends prior research and provides actionable insights for promoting inclusive digital finance in marginalized populations.