Cashless Society and Self-Control: A Behavioral Study of Students^ Financial Management Zahwa Amelia Putri1, Ihsan Catur Pramono2, Ariawan Febrianto3, Alfa Joshua Stevanus Kawani4, Muhammad Yunus Kasim5, Fera6
Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Tadulako University
Abstract
The advancement of financial technology has accelerated the transition to a cashless society, especially among university students as a digitally native generation that is adaptive to electronic payment systems. This phenomenon provides ease of transaction, time efficiency, and automatic financial recording, but poses the risk of consumptive behaviour due to ease of access, digital promotions, and low psychological barriers to making payments. This study aims to analyse the influence of a cashless society on students^ financial self-control through a simple Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 10 scientific articles published between 2023 and 2025. The results of the study show that the use of digital payment instruments can increase consumptive tendencies if not balanced with adequate self-control. Conversely, for students with good financial literacy and self-control, the cashless system supports financial management through expenditure monitoring and budget management. Therefore, the influence of the cashless society is dualistic, influenced by an individual^s capacity for self-control and financial literacy. These findings emphasise the importance of strengthening financial education and self-regulation skills for students so that the use of digital financial services contributes positively to their financial health.
