Intention to Use Digital Wallets Among Generation Z Youth: Trust, Ease of Use, and the Mediating Role of Perceived Usefulness

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of trust and perceived ease of use on Generation Z university students’ intention to use digital wallets, while assessing the mediating role of perceived usefulness in universities in Lambayeque, Peru. A quantitative, explanatory, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was implemented, and data were collected through an online survey between October and December 2025, yielding a final sample of 388 students. The model was estimated using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS, and the measurement model showed adequate psychometric performance (reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity). The structural model exhibited moderate explanatory power (R2=0.468 for perceived usefulness and R2=0.582 for usage intention). Findings indicated that trust and perceived ease of use had positive and significant direct effects on intention to use, and both predictors also exerted positive and significant effects on perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness, in turn, positively influenced intention to use and produced complementary mediation for the trust→intention and ease of use→intention relationships, as indirect effects remained significant alongside direct paths. Overall, intention was explained primarily by security/credibility beliefs and low-friction user experience, strengthened by functional value appraisals. It was recommended that providers and stakeholders prioritize verifiable security and incident-response mechanisms, streamline interface flows and operational stability, and communicate tangible value (including interoperability) to sustain adoption among young users.