User Empowerment and Perceived System Value in POS Continuance Intention: An SEM–fsQCA Study Among Small Retail Entrepreneurs

Point-of-sale (POS) technology is central to the digital transformation of small retail businesses, yet little is known about the beliefs that keep current users committed to these systems. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model with perceived system value and user empowerment as antecedents of POS continuance intention, with trust and satisfaction as mediators. Survey data from 196 Thai small retail entrepreneurs with at least six months of POS use were analyzed with covariance-based structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. User empowerment was the strongest correlate of trust and continuance intention, and its association with continuance intention was almost entirely direct. Perceived system value was consistently associated with satisfaction, but its association with usefulness was not robust across estimators. The associations of usefulness with trust and of satisfaction with continuance intention were not significant, although power to detect them was limited. Both configurations sufficient for high continuance intention combined usefulness, empowerment, and trust, yielding a core that was sensitive to some calibration and threshold choices. Because the sample comprised current users, the design was cross-sectional, and common method variance could not be ruled out, the findings describe associations rather than causes of sustained use. POS providers may benefit from supporting users’ competence and sense of control alongside usefulness and value communication.