The Effect of Reward Strategies on Consumers’ Continuance Intention Toward Digital Low-Carbon Applications

With the global environmental challenges and accelerating digitalization, promoting the continuous use of digital low-carbon applications (DLCAs) constitutes a critical pathway for China to achieve green transformation objectives. DLCAs represent innovative products and services that leverage digital technologies—through substitution, sharing, and intelligent control mechanisms—to deliver energy-saving and emission-reduction benefits to consumers. Drawing on construal level theory (CLT), this study investigates how reward strategies influence DLCA continuance intention. Findings from three experiments targeting Chinese consumers demonstrate that material rewards (compared to immaterial rewards) significantly increase DLCA continuance intention, with attitude serving as a mediating mechanism. Furthermore, reward timing (delayed vs. immediate) moderates this relationship: under delayed (vs. immediate) conditions, immaterial (vs. material) rewards generate a more favorable attitude, thereby strengthening continuance intention. Additionally, reward orientation (altruistic vs. self-oriented) serves as a boundary condition for the moderating effect of reward timing. Specifically, under a self-oriented framing, the construal fit between immaterial–delayed and material–immediate rewards proves most effective in fostering positive attitudes and continuance intention. Under altruistic framing, however, immaterial rewards consistently outperform material rewards in enhancing consumer attitudes and continuance intention. This research not only extends CLT within the domain of reward strategy design but also offers actionable insights for firms seeking to develop effective incentive mechanisms that promote sustained customer engagement.