Evaluating the Sabah Pay Mobile Application (e-Wallet) using the Technology Acceptance Model

The Sabah Pay e-wallet has been introduced as a digital payment solution in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, as part of a digital transformation initiative. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding its user acceptance and the factors influencing it. Specifically, there is a need to investigate whether users perceive Sabah Pay as useful and easy to use. This research problem arises due to the importance of user acceptance in the success and sustainability of the e-wallet. Hence, we used the technology acceptance model (TAM) to analyse the perceived usefulness (PU) and customer satisfaction in using the Sabah Pay mobile application and the relationship between perceived ease of use (PEOU) and customer satisfaction using the Sabah Pay mobile application. The Cronbach's Alpha and composite reliability values are higher than 0.7, and the average variance extracted (AVE) is higher than 0.5, which supports the TAM constructs' convergence validity. The square root of AVE for each construct is higher than the corresponding correlations between constructs, which suggests the discriminant validity of the constructs. We used the Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the data from the 173 respondents who reported using the Sabah Pay mobile application. We found that PU did not significantly affect customer satisfaction (CS), with a p-value of 0.207, although the path coefficient is 0.109, thus disproving the null hypothesis (H1). However, we supported the second hypothesis (H2) by observing that PEOU substantially impacted CS, with a p-value of 0.000 and a path coefficient of 0.614. The correlation indices demonstrated a satisfactory relationship between the data and the model. This research adds to the body of knowledge on mobile payment platforms by shedding light on perceived usefulness and ease of use factors that most affect users' happiness with Sabah Pay. The study suggests and identifies extensive research into potential customer satisfaction aspects like safety, trust, and value. This study's findings have real-world applications for practitioners and regulators looking to improve the mobile payment platform user experience and, by extension, boost customer happiness and adoption rates.