Explaining consumers' continuous purchase intention toward subscriber-based knowledge payment platforms: findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing mechanism of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the subscriber-based knowledge payment platforms (SBKPPs).Design/methodology/approachThis study obtained 226 valid samples through questionnaire surveys and used partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methods to elucidate the complex causal patterns of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.FindingsThe findings revealed that perceived utilitarian value, perceived hedonic value and perceived social value directly affected consumers' continuous purchase intention, while content quality and service quality indirectly affected consumers' continuous purchase intention. In addition, this study also demonstrated that all factors must be combined to play a role, and there exist four configurations resulting in consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.Research limitations/implicationsThe results can help researchers and practitioners better understand the causal patterns of consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the knowledge payment literature by investigating consumers' continuous purchase intention toward the SBKPPs. This study also provides practical enlightenment for the SBKPPs' marketing.