Mobile Commerce Adoption Barriers

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) emerged as one of the technologies that could change the way consumers engage in electronic business. Consumers have envisioned it as the mobile “electronic commerce,” which allows them to purchase goods and services using their wireless mobile devices anywhere, anytime. This mobility, supported by a mobile telecommunications infrastructure, is the major characteristic that differentiates mobile computing from other forms of information technology applications. Although the widespread use of mobile commerce has been intermingled with advanced telecommunications infrastructure, perceived benefits, and consumer demands, the industry is continuously searching for new and innovative mobile applications. Many consumers are still reluctant to make use of various mobile commerce applications. Technological hype and unreal consumer expectations have generated high hopes for innovative mobile applications that cannot be conceptualized during their initial stages. In many cases, unfilled gaps exist between the potential applications and the actual services provided by leading mobile carriers. The purpose of this article is to identify and explain different socio-psychological drivers and barriers affecting consumers’ motivations to use mobile commerce applications. These determinants are based on our literature reviews and exploratory consumer-based research. We later suggest a research framework to which researchers and practitioners can refer.