Buy Now Pay Later and Online Impulse Buying: An Empirical Study in Indonesia’s Digital Economy

The rapid expansion of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services in Indonesia has reshaped consumer behavior in the digital economy. While ‎BNPL provides convenience in online transactions, it may also intensify impulsive buying tendencies. This study examines the determinants ‎of online impulse buying by comparing BNPL users and non-users. Six factors were analyzed: fear of missing out (FOMO), BNPL pro-‎motions, happiness, social influence, normative evaluation, and self-control. A quantitative approach was applied through an online survey ‎of 303 respondents, and the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal ‎that for both BNPL users and non-users, FOMO, happiness, and self-control significantly influence impulsive buying. Among BNPL users, ‎self-control was the strongest predictor, while happiness was most influential among non-users. Normative evaluation showed a significant ‎negative effect only for non-users, indicating that social norms remain an effective restraint in that group. In contrast, promotions and social ‎influence were not significant for either group. These results suggest that BNPL shifts the main drivers of impulse buying from emotional ‎triggers to self-regulation and reduces the role of normative controls. The study offers implications for policymakers, digital businesses, and ‎consumers in promoting more responsible digital consumption.