The Role of Secure Online Payments in Enabling the Development of E-Tailing

Online security is a concern for customers who wish to purchase products and services online in a safe environment. A particular aspect of the online shopping process that is prone to security issues is the payment mechanism. This study focuses on the impacts of secure online payments and their interplay with other determinants on the development of e-tailing in Lebanon. To achieve this research goal, an online survey has been designed and distributed to gather feedback from 306 participants who make online purchases on regular basis. FsQCA methodology was implemented to obtain causal configurations of security-related variables that establish various ways in which they contribute to the increase in customers’ online purchases. According to the research findings, gender of the customer, secure e-commerce website, secure payment information, and secure online payment conditions significantly influence customers’ online purchasing intentions, leading to higher online purchases. The results have important novel contributions to academia and practitioners in the e-tailing domain.