Purpose – The development of mobile devices leads to the popularity of mobile reading. This paper aims to investigate the influential factors driving consumers’ intention to pay for e-books on Apps. The results can be used as references for improving service quality and increasing purchase rate of mobile reading services. Design/methodology/approach – 413 effective data was collected through questionnaires oriented to possible potential mobile readers by convenient sampling method of non-random sampling approach. Questions about respondents’ demographic information, mobile reading habits and the perception of relevant variables were included. SEM was employed as the analysis method towards the theoretical model. Findings – The results show that content characteristics along with enjoyment and payment characteristics all present significant effects on purchase intention. Specifically, perceived cost performance and perceived cost enjoyment show the strongest impact. Conversely, the correlation between perceived payment convenience and purchase intention is not significant. Practical implications – This study can help mobile reading service providers acquire a better understanding of consumers’ reading patterns, improve product design and sales patterns and eventually switch users’ reading behavior to payment behavior.  Originality/value – The paper is one of the first to study purchase intention in the field of mobile reading. Study is conducted from the views of content characteristics, enjoyment characteristics and payment characteristics. Enjoyment, quality and cost are integrated into cost enjoyment and cost performance. Findings can provide some managerial insights for service providers to get deeper knowledge of users’ demands and make their mobile reading service more profitable.

Zhang Min, Guo Xin, Zhu Mingxing. Content, Enjoyment or Payment? Factors Influencing Consumers‘ Purchase Intention in Mobile Reading: An Empirical Study from China. International Journal of New Developments in Engineering and Society (2018) Vol. 2: 118-130.

[1] eMarketer: The total number of global smartphone users will reach 1.75 billion by 2014 [EB/OL] .http://www.199it.com/archives/188425.htm l.
[2] Gartner: smartphone sales in 2014 is expected to reach 1.3 billion[EB/OL]. http://ww w.199it.com/archives/195 041.html. 2014.12.10
[3] Deloitte. International Mobile Internet Industry 2013 annual report [R], Chengdu, China: Deloitte, 2013
[4] Lin J, Amini S, Hong J I, et al. Expectation and purpose: understanding users' mental models of mobile app privacy through crowdsourcing[C], Proceedings of the 2012 ACM Conference on Ubiquitous Computing. ACM, 2012: 501-510.

[ 5 ] Portio Research, Mobile Applications Futures 2013-2017[EB/OL], (2013-3), http://www.portioresearch.Com/en/mobile-industry-reports/mobile-industry-research-reports/mobile-applications-futures-2013-2017.aspx.
[6] Zhang L, Ma W. Correlation analysis between users' educational level and mobile reading behavior[J]. Library Hi Tech, 2011, 29(3): 424-435.
[7] Juniper research : global mobile reading market will reach 9.7 billion in 2016[EB/OL]. http://news.ccidnet.
com/art/951/20140429/5444137_1.html. 2014.12.10
[8]Chinese Academy of Press and Publication: the 11th national reading survey report[R]. Beijing, Chia: Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, 2014.
[9] Gibson C, Gibb F. An evaluation of second-generation e-book readers[J]. Electronic Library, The, 2011, 29(3): 303-319.
[10] Qian J. Evaluating the Kindle DX e-book reader: results from Amazon. com customer reviews[J]. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 2011, 12(2):95-105.
[ 11 ] Pattuelli M C, Rabina D. Forms, effects, function: LIS students' attitudes towards portable e-book readers[C]//Aslib Proceedings. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2010, 62(3): 228-244.

[12] Woody W D, Daniel D B, Baker C A. E-books or textbooks: Students prefer textbooks[J]. Computers & Education, 2010, 55(3): 945-948.

[13 ] Williams M D, Slade E L, Dwivedi Y K. Consumers' Intentions to Use E-readers[J]. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 2014, 54(2).
[14] West M, Ei C H. Reading in the mobile era: a study of mobile reading in developing countries[M]. UNESCO, 2014.
[15] Clarke I. Emerging value propositions for m-commerce[J]. Journal of Business Strategies, 2001, 18(2): 133-148.
[16] Fishbein M, Ajzen I. Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research[M]. 1975.
[17] Ajzen I. The theory of planned behavior[J]. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 1991, 50(2): 179-211.
[18] Davis F D. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology[J]. MIS quarterly, 1989: 319-340.
[19] Kuo Y F, Wu C M, Deng W J. The relationships among service quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, and post-purchase intention in mobile value-added services[J]. Computers in human behavior, 2009, 25(4): 887-896.
[20] Chiu C M, Wang E T G, Fang Y H, et al. Understanding customers' repeat purchase intentions in B2C e‐commerce: the roles of utilitarian value, hedonic value and perceived risk[J]. Information Systems Journal, 2014, 24(1): 85-114.

[21] Csikszentmihalyi M. Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. 1975[J]. Josey–Bass, San Francisco.
[22] Hoffman D L, Novak T P. Marketing in hypermedia computer-mediated environments: a conceptual foundations[J]. The Journal of Marketing, 1996: 50-68.
[23] Lee K C, Kang I, McKnight D H. Transfer from offline trust to key online perceptions: an empirical study[J]. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on, 2007, 54(4): 729-741.
[24] Lee M C, Tsai T R. What drives people to continue to play online games? An extension of technology model and theory of planned behavior[J]. Intl. Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2010, 26(6): 601-620.
[25] Novak T P, Hoffman D L, Yung Y F. Modeling the structure of the flow experience among web users[C]//INFORMS Marketing Science and the Internet Mini-Conference. 1998.
[26] Novak T P, Hoffman D L, Yung Y F. Measuring the customer experience in online environments: A structural modeling approach[J]. Marketing science, 2000, 19(1): 22-42.

[27] Ye Han jie, Guo Shan. Introduction the relationship between modern packaging design and the products’ cost enjoyment [J]. Journal of China packaging industry, 2013 practices: 37 - 39.
[28] Ho L A, Kuo T H. How can one amplify the effect of e-learning? An examination of high-tech employees’ computer attitude and flow experience[J]. Computers in Human Behavior, 2010, 26(1): 23-31.
[29] Dubé J P, Hitsch G J, Rossi P E. State dependence and alternative explanations for consumer inertia[J]. The RAND Journal of Economics, 2010, 41(3): 417-445.

[30 ] Banerjee B, Bandyopadhyay S. Advertising competition under consumer inertia[J]. Marketing Science, 2003, 22(1): 131-144.
[31] Kuo Y F, Hu T L, Yang S C. Effects of inertia and satisfaction in female online shoppers on repeat-purchase intention: The moderating roles of word-of-mouth and alternative attraction[J]. Managing Service Quality, 2013, 23(3): 168-187.
[32] Arthur W B. Competing technologies, increasing returns, and lock-in by historical events[J]. The economic journal, 1989: 116-131.

[33] Martin R, Sunley P. The place of path dependence in an evolutionary perspective on the economic landscape [J]. Handbook of Evolutionary Economic Geography, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2010: 62-92.
[34] Zhang N, Guo X, Chen G. Why adoption and use behavior of IT/IS cannot last?—two studies in China[J]. Information Systems Frontiers, 2011, 13(3): 381-395.
[35] Aaker D A, Keller K L. Consumer evaluations of brand extensions[J]. The Journal of Marketing, 1990: 27-41.

[36] Mao H, Mariadoss B J, Echambadi R, et al. Brand extensions via complements or substitutes: The moderating role of manufacturing transferability[J].Marketing Letters, 2012, 23(1): 279-292.
[37] Wang Y S, Yeh C H, Liao Y W. What drives purchase intention in the context of online content services? The moderating role of ethical self-efficacy for online piracy[J]. International Journal of Information Management, 2013, 33(1): 199-208.

[38 ] Lu H P, Hsiao K L. The influence of extro/introversion on the intention to pay for social networking sites[J]. Information & Management, 2010, 47(3): 150-157.
[39] Kim H W, Chan H C, Gupta S. Value-based adoption of mobile internet: an empirical investigation[J]. Decision Support Systems, 2007, 43(1): 111-126.
[40] Babin B J, Darden W R, Griffin M. Work and/or fun: measuring hedonic and utilitarian shopping value[J]. Journal of consumer research, 1994: 644-656.
[41] Chiu C M, Hsu M H, Lai H, et al. Re-examining the influence of trust on online repeat purchase intention: The moderating role of habit and its antecedents[J]. Decision Support Systems, 2012, 53(4): 835-845.
[42] Sweeney J C, Soutar G N. Consumer perceived value: the development of a multiple item scale[J]. Journal of retailing, 2001, 77(2): 203-220.
[43] Hsiao K L. Android Smartphone adoption and intention to pay for mobile Internet: perspectives from software, hardware, design, and value[J]. Library Hi Tech, 2013, 31(2): 216-235.
[44] Yang S, Lu Y, Gupta S, et al. Mobile payment services adoption across time: An empirical study of the effects of behavioral beliefs, social influences, and personal traits[J]. Computers in Human Behavior, 2012, 28(1): 129-142.
[45] Kim C, Mirusmonov M, Lee I. An empirical examination of factors influencing the intention to use mobile payment[J]. Computers in Human Behavior, 2010, 26(3): 310-322.
[46] Schierz P G, Schilke O, Wirtz B W. Understanding consumer acceptance of mobile payment services: An empirical analysis[J]. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 2010, 9(3): 209-216.
[47] Yoon C, Kim S. Convenience and TAM in a ubiquitous computing environment: The case of wireless LAN[J]. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 2007, 6(1): 102-112.
[48] Bauer R A. Consumer behavior as risk taking[J]. Dynamic marketing for a changing world, 1960, 398.
[49] Stone R N, Grønhaug K. Perceived risk: further considerations for the marketing discipline[J]. European Journal of marketing, 1993, 27(3): 39-50.
[50] Garretson J A, Clow K E. The influence of coupon face value on service quality expectations, risk perceptions and purchase intentions in the dental industry[J]. Journal of Services Marketing, 1999, 13(1): 59-72