Resistance of facial recognition payment service: a mixed method approach

Purpose – Sellers view facial recognition mobile payment services (FRMPS) as a convenient and cost-saving way to receive immediate payments
from customers. For consumers, however, these biometric identification technologies raise issues of usability as well as privacy, so FRMPS are not
always preferable. This study uses the stressor–strain–outcome (S–S–O) framework to illuminate the underlying mechanism of FRMPS resistance,
thereby addressing the paucity of research on users’ negative attitudes toward FRMPS.
Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from the stressor–strain–outcome (S–S–O) framework, the purpose of this study is to illuminate the
underlying mechanism of FRMPS resistance. To this end, they invited 566 password authentication users who had refused to use FRMPS to complete
online survey questionnaires.
Findings – The findings enrich the understanding of FRMPS resistance and show that stressors (i.e. system feature overload, information overload,
technological uncertainty, privacy concern and perceived risk) aggravate the strain (i.e. technostress), which then leads to users’ resistance
behaviors and negative word of mouth.
Originality/value – Advances in payment methods have profoundly changed consumers’ consumption and payment habits. Understanding FRMPS
resistance can provide marketers with strategies for dealing with this negative impact. This study theoretically confirms the S–S–O paradigm in the
FRMPS setting and advances it by proposing thorough explanations of the major stressors that consumers face. Building on their findings, the
authors suggest ways service providers can eliminate the stressors, thereby reducing consumers’ fear and preventing resistance or negative word-ofmouth
behaviors. This study has valuable implications for both scholars and practitioners.