E-Wallet Continuance in a Conflict-Affected Economy: New Evidence Using an Extended Expectation–Confirmation Model

This study examines the determinants of e-wallet continuance intention in Palestine, a conflict-affected and cash-dependent economy where digital payment services have expanded rapidly since October 2023. Drawing on the Expectation–Confirmation Model (ECM), the study applies an extended framework incorporating confirmation, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, continuance intention, perceived trust, and security/privacy-oriented perceived risk. Data from 328 active e-wallet users were analyzed using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4. Directional hypotheses were tested one-tailed and indirect effects two-tailed using 10,000 bootstrap resamples. The findings show that confirmation positively predicts usefulness and satisfaction and is negatively associated with perceived risk. Usefulness, trust, and satisfaction positively predict continuance intention, while perceived risk negatively predicts trust. The direct effects of risk and trust on satisfaction are not supported. The model explains 63.8% of continuance intention and 64.4% of satisfaction, with several significant indirect effects. The study is limited by its cross-sectional design, convenience sampling, and self-reported data. Future research could use longitudinal and probability-based designs, objective usage measures, and examine regional differences and additional factors such as fees, merchant acceptance, service reliability, and regulatory trust. Practically, the findings highlight usefulness, expectation confirmation, and trust as important aspects of continued engagement. The study extends earlier Palestinian evidence by examining a broader active-user sample and estimating both direct and specific indirect relationships within an extended ECM.