In a world that is becoming more and more interconnected by digitalisation, platforms have increased in importance. Payment services in retail are a classical example of a platform, connecting different sides of a market. Payment methods have changed in their form throughout history, and rapidly so in recent decades. Surprisingly, the treatment of payment in retail research appears detached from its purpose of use: purchasing products and services. The dissertation aims to understand how and why certain payment methods are used in retail.
– I am interested in what makes some solutions become the standard ones. Payments can today be seen as a service, and the retailers provide these services to make purchases easier. What characterizes a payment service? What makes it a service? I am also looking into different aspects of friction in this area. When is convenience too convenient? says Carin Rehncrona.
With five different articles, payment services are explored from both the retailer and consumer perspectives, employing comprehensive empirical material as well as both quantitative and qualitative methods. It finds that value is formed interdependently in the use of retail payment service platforms, with prolonged and growing ties in the market relationships investigated. Furthermore, it finds that friction can add value to a transaction, challenging the notions of cost-minimisation and seamlessness in the retail imperative.
