Reframing m-payment continuance: a communication-based systematic review

Purpose Although mobile payment (m-payment) adoption has grown rapidly worldwide, existing research remains fragmented in explaining the factors that drive users' continued use beyond initial adoption. Prior reviews have predominantly concentrated on adoption-related factors and acceptance models, with limited attention to post-adoption behaviours such as continuance intention (CI). This study aims to address this gap by conducting a systematic review and proposing a conceptual framework grounded in Shannon and Weaver’s communication model. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of 99 peer-reviewed journal articles from 2014 to 2024 was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles were retrieved from five academic sources and screened through a four-stage process. Influencing factors were categorized using the adapted communication model into three dimensions: source, channel, and recipient, while also considering mediating, moderating and external factors. Findings The review identifies three core categories of factors influencing m-payment CI: (1) source-related (e.g. satisfaction, trust and confirmation); (2) channel-related (e.g. usefulness, ease of use and security); and (3) recipient-related (e.g. merchant pro-activeness). Mediating variables (e.g. satisfaction and trust), moderating variables (e.g. gender, age and experience) and external influences (e.g. social influence and subjective norms) also play significant roles. Originality/value This study extends communication theory into the digital finance domain by developing a multidimensional source–channel–recipient framework. It applies a classical communication model to synthesize and interpret dispersed continuance research, highlighting underexplored areas such as recipient responsiveness and environmental influences. The framework provides structured implications for researchers, service providers and policymakers seeking to foster sustained m-payment use.