Building Trust and Driving Adoption of Zakat-Based Sharia Fintech: The Roles of Transparency, Accountability, and Digital Literacy
TL;DR
It is suggested that transparency is the most influential factor in encouraging the use of digital zakat services and zakat institutions should strengthen information disclosure, reporting quality, and digital communication to enhance user engagement and adoption of digital zakat platforms.
Abstract
This study examines the influence of transparency, accountability, and digital literacy on the adoption of zakat-based Islamic fintech, with trust as a mediating variable. The rapid development of digital financial technology has created opportunities to optimize zakat collection and distribution; however, public participation remains below its potential. This research employs a quantitative explanatory approach using survey data collected from 140 employed students of STEI Jakarta. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that transparency has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of zakat-based Islamic fintech. Accountability and digital literacy positively influence trust, while trust does not significantly affect fintech adoption. Furthermore, trust is unable to mediate the relationship between transparency, accountability, digital literacy, and fintech adoption. The results suggest that transparency is the most influential factor in encouraging the use of digital zakat services. This study contributes to the literature on Islamic financial technology adoption by integrating governance and digital literacy perspectives. Managerially, zakat institutions should strengthen information disclosure, reporting quality, and digital communication to enhance user engagement and adoption of digital zakat platforms