EXPRESS: When and Why Consumers Avoid Purchase on Smartphones

Consumers increasingly rely on smartphones to browse and compare products, yet they remain substantially less likely to purchase on smartphones than on PCs. This research examines the psychological mechanisms underlying this mobile conversion gap, the conditions under which it dissipates, and whether consumer reluctance is warranted. A pilot study, nine controlled experiments, real-world sales analysis, and a field experiment show that smartphone (vs. PC) use reduces purchase likelihood by altering how consumers evaluate their decision process. Specifically, four characteristics of smartphones lead consumers to feel they think less thoroughly when using the device, which then lowers perceived decision quality and reduces purchase likelihood. Consistent with this mechanism, the negative effect of smartphone use on purchase attenuates when decisions are perceived as requiring little thought, whether due to product characteristics, individual differences, or situational contexts, and can be mitigated by interventions that enhance perceived decision quality on smartphones. Importantly, we show that this reluctance is not fully warranted; even when objective performance is equal to or better on smartphones, consumers perceive their decisions more negatively than they do on PCs. The findings reveal a device-specific bias in self-assessment underlying the mobile conversion gap and offer actionable strategies for improving mobile performance.