Perceptions of In-App Communication, Trust, and Satisfaction Among Ride-Hailing Users in Mandaluyong City

In-app communication helps riders coordinate journeys and evaluate digital transport services. This study examined distinct acceptance beliefs, direct trust, and satisfaction among ride-hailing users in Mandaluyong City. All 151 complete, consenting responses recorded April 21–29, 2026 were analyzed using five-item domain means, internal consistency, Pearson correlations with 95% confidence intervals, sensitivity checks, and exploratory employment comparisons. Direct trust (platform and driver items) correlated with usefulness (r = .577), ease of use (r = .580), and direct satisfaction (r = .626); all p < .001. Twelve respondents (7.9%) marked the highest option on all 65 items; excluding them reduced the trust–satisfaction correlation to .556. Employment groups did not differ in direct trust, F(3, 147) = 0.183, p = .908; the source report’s student p = .026 did not replicate. Favorable beliefs, trust, and satisfaction co-occurred in this local sample. Cross-sectional self-reports cannot identify causal effects, and the distinct constructs need further validation.