电商平台分期支付影响交易规模与用户粘性的理论机制研究

Research on the Theoretical Mechanism of E-Commerce Platform Installment Payment Affecting Transaction Scale and User Stickiness

摘要: 分期支付已成为电商平台主流支付方式，但其影响交易规模与用户粘性的内在机理尚待系统阐释。本文基于消费者行为理论与心理账户理论，构建分期支付影响效应的整合分析框架。研究发现，分期支付通过三重机制扩张交易规模：支付痛感的时间稀释效应削弱即期支付的心理成本，感知财务约束的缓解效应降低消费门槛，心理账户的柔性重构效应改变资金的认知归属性。在用户粘性建构方面，分期支付通过体验价值的内化沉淀、习惯形成的路径依赖、以及信用资本的锁定效应，形成用户留存的行为惯性。进一步分析揭示，交易规模扩张与用户粘性建构之间存在内在张力：过度授信可能引发逆向筛选与债务累积，反而侵蚀长期用户关系。本文为理解数字支付时代的消费行为提供了理论视角，也为平台在追求商业目标的同时兼顾消费者福祉与金融稳定提供了实践启示。

Abstract: Installment payments have become a mainstream payment method on e-commerce platforms, yet the underlying mechanisms through which they influence transaction scale and user retention remain to be systematically elucidated. This paper constructs an integrated analytical framework for the impact of instalment payments, grounded in consumer behaviour theory and mental accounting theory. Findings reveal that instalment payments expand transaction scale through three mechanisms: the temporal dilution effect of payment pain reduces the psychological cost of immediate payment; the perceived easing of financial constraints lowers consumption thresholds; and the flexible restructuring effect of mental accounts alters the cognitive attribution of funds. Regarding user retention, instalment payments foster behavioural inertia through the internalisation of experiential value, path dependence in habit formation, and the lock-in effect of credit capital. Further analysis reveals an inherent tension between transaction scale expansion and user retention: excessive credit granting may trigger adverse selection and debt accumulation, thereby eroding long-term user relationships. This paper offers a theoretical perspective for understanding consumer behavior in the era of digital payments, while also providing practical insights for platforms to balance consumer welfare and financial stability alongside their pursuit of commercial objectives.