From Fitness Tracking to Augmented Shopping Experience: Perceptions and Use of Mobile Payment among Runners Using Wearable Devices

Authors : Özlem ÖZDİNÇ

Pages : 15-23

View : 34 | Download : 9

Publication Date : 2021-05-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Regularly exercising users of sports wearables insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., smartwatches); comprise an overlooked group in the literature on mobile payment despite their frequent use of such high-tech devices that allow making mobile payments. Payment-capable wearables could lead to a more health-conscious shopping experience through push notifications that make customised suggestions―say, for fluid/food intake based on dehydration/calories burnt, since they track exercise insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., steps);, health insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., pulse);, and well-being data insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., sleep cycles);. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the perceptions and use of mobile payment technology among a sample of runners, who track their exercise metrics using sports wearables. A typical runner that we captured data from was an educated, employed, and adult female user of high-tech sports wearables, who makes nearly 9 kilometres on each of her four runs in a week, but taps her smartphone―not her wearable―to make payments for necessity goods insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., food, apparel); and services insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(e.g., bills, bookings); through either Alipay or Apple Pay. Mobile payment was among the top three preferred methods of payments; however, only 4% were using their wearable device for that purpose. Runners’ had a positive perception of the mobile payment technology, which was homogeneous across the categories of their socio-demographic characteristics and exercise metrics. These results indicate that mobile payment use on a smartphone is common among the physically active, but the convergence of that technology with high-tech wearable devices is yet to find acceptance.
Keywords : High tech sports wearables, Health conscious shopping, Mobile payment, Perceptions and use, Runners

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