The role of a set of mediating variables in analysing the relationship between electronic payment and financial inclusion in Iraq

<ns3:p>Background This research aims to study the relationship between electronic payment and financial inclusion in Iraq by analysing the role of a set of mediating variables: trust, ease of use, and digital awareness, using the PROCESS Macro tool in SPSS. Method Al-Rafidain Bank has been selected as a case study due to its increasing reliance on electronic payment services in recent years. The study adopted is a descriptive analytical approach, with data collected through an electronic field questionnaire directed to a sample of Rafidain Bank customers in Iraq. Results The results of the analysis have shown a positive relationship between electronic payment and mediating variables. However, the two variables, ease of use and digital awareness, as mediating variables, do not exert a statistically significant influence on the relationship between electronic payments and financial inclusion, indicating that their presence neither significantly strengthens nor weakens this relationship in the model under study. Conversely, the results have shown that customer trust plays a significant mediating role in the influence between electronic payments and financial inclusion, highlighting the importance of enhancing customer trust as a key factor that contributes to strengthen the positive relationship between the use of electronic payment tools and expanding the scope of financial inclusion. Conclusions it can be concluded that the relationship between the studied variables may be influenced by methodological or contextual factors that require further investigation. One possible explanation may be that the conceptual model used reflects a particular structure of relationships that may not capture all theoretical dimensions in the applied context. Accordingly, in future studies, it would be useful to consider expanding the sample, testing the model in different settings. They examine the consistency of the mediating variables with the studied phenomenon in the light of different or expanded theoretical frameworks.</ns3:p>