Enhancing Loan Payment Efficiency Through Mobile App Technology Utilization in the Banking Sector of Battambang City, Cambodia

Enhancing Loan Payment Efficiency Through Mobile App Technology Utilization in the Banking Sector of Battambang City, Cambodia: In the context of Cambodia’s growing digital finance landscape, mobile loan payment systems have emerged as critical tools for enhancing financial service efficiency. However, there is limited empirical research examining the factors influencing user satisfaction and loan payment efficiency through mobile apps in this context. This study aimed to identify key predictors of user satisfaction with mobile loan payment systems and to explore how gender differences and user experience shape loan payment outcomes in Battambang’s banking and microfinance sectors. A mixed-methods approach is employed in this study by combining survey data from 283 users with interview data from 30 participants across urban and rural areas of Battambang City. Quantitative results, analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, revealed that performance expectancy as well as technological and security factors significantly predicted user satisfaction, which in turn strongly influenced mobile loan payment efficiency. Effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions were non-significant, likely because Cambodian users are already familiar with smartphones, mobile banking, and e-wallet apps. Since loan repayment is a private matter, peer influence is minimal, and as mobile payment systems have become normalized, ease of use and infrastructure are taken for granted, with greater focus now placed on performance, trust, and security. Gender-based analysis showed that user satisfaction had a significantly greater impact on mobile loan payment among female users. Qualitative findings further highlighted that speed, security, and trust were reinforced as core experiential dimensions of user satisfaction. The study concludes that user-centered, secure, and gender-responsive design of mobile loan payment systems is essential for promoting adoption and improving efficiency. These insights provide actionable implications for financial institutions aiming to scale digital payment platforms in emerging economies.