Mobile payment platforms such as WeChat Pay and Amazon Pay have introduced checkout donation features, allowing users to automatically donate to a selected charity after their first daily transaction. However, it remains unclear how these platforms present different causes to encourage user engagement with charity-linked features. This article investigates whether giving users the freedom to choose a cause (rather than having the platform assign one) increases their willingness to use the mobile payment platform.
This study employed two between-subjects experiments to examine how cause selection influences mobile payment adoption. Studies used online samples to test the direct, mediating and conditional effects of choice – comparing user-selected versus platform-assigned options – on adoption intentions. The hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), bootstrapped mediation analysis, and moderation analysis.
Through two studies, we find that when users can select a cause, their intention to use the platform rises. This effect occurs because choice fosters a sense of control, motivating users to support their chosen cause. Additionally, we show that collectivism can weaken the positive impact of cause choice.
Our findings contribute to choice theory and provide practical insights for mobile payment companies designing prosocial initiatives.
