Exploration of Women's Purchase Decision Making: Tendencies to Use Spaylater Payment Facilities

Financial literacy has become increasingly important in managing personal finances, particularly in terms of record-keeping, reporting, and financial planning. Understanding financial accounting helps individuals make wiser financial decisions, avoid excessive debt, and plan for a more secure financial future. However, in practice, financial decision-making is often influenced by psychological biases, emotions, and individual perception, as explained by Herbert A. Simon’s theory of bounded rationality. One phenomenon that highlights this limitation is the challenge of using SPayLater services, especially among women, who are often influenced by social pressure, easy access, and marketing strategies that target consumer behavior. SPayLater, with its convenience of deferred payments, contributes to impulsive purchases, which can jeopardize long-term financial stability. This study examines how psychological and social factors influence women’s purchasing decisions, particularly in the context of SPayLater usage. Adopting a feminist approach and Leon Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory, the research explores how women navigate the conflict between impulsive consumption behavior and their financial goals. The study employs a qualitative phenomenological research method with an interpretative paradigm, utilizing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to gain a deeper understanding of women’s lived experiences and individual perspectives. The research uses the Snowball Sampling technique, targeting female informants who are employed and have a stable income. A total of seven women residing in Denpasar participated in this study. Based on interviews conducted in this study, it was found that the use of PayLater services among women often triggers cognitive dissonance between consumer behavior and its financial impact. Informants experienced euphoria while shopping with PayLater but felt regret when the bills arrived, often exceeding their budget. Social factors, easy access, and promotions contributed to impulsive buying, negatively affecting their financial stability. The conflict between emotional needs and long-term financial goals led them to consider both practical and emotional aspects simultaneously, frequently justifying these purchases as necessary for maintaining mental balance. To address this conflict, women attempted to rationalize their behavior and reorganize their financial strategies, such as setting spending limits and being more selective in their shopping. These findings highlight the importance of financial literacy in helping women make informed financial decisions, particularly in managing digital credit facilities that encourage consumerism.