Students Urged to Beware of Impulse Buying and Paylater
The younger generation, especially university students, is considered to need enhanced financial management capabilities amidst the increasing ease of access to digital financial services. This was highlighted during the ‘Pindar Mengajar’ programme organised by the Indonesian Joint Funding Fintech Association (AFPI) at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Islamic University of Malang, on Wednesday, 24 June 2026.
Shintya Maulida, Business Development Director of PT Plus Ultra Abadi, stated that the ease of digital transactions must be balanced with good financial understanding. According to her, the younger generation faces several challenges in managing finances, ranging from consumptive behaviour, FOMO (fear of operating out), impulse buying, to the use of ‘paylater’ services.
“Amidst the current ease of digitalisation, there are real challenges for the younger generation regarding financial management. Factors such as prestige, FOMO, easy access to digital transactions, and impulse buying—including flash sale trends and paylater—are the main causes of people being less wise in using their money,” Shintya said during the discussion titled “Smart Managing, Wise Transacting” at UNISMA.
Shintya noted that students are part of Gen Z, which constitutes a significant portion of the Indonesian population. Based on 2025 BPS data, the Gen Z population reaches approximately 75 million people, or nearly 28% of Indonesia’s total population. Given this scale, the financial behaviour of Gen Z is expected to influence the quality of national financial literacy and health in the future.
According to Shintya, financial freedom is not only determined by the size of one’s income but also by an individual’s ability to manage income, control expenses, set priorities, and prepare for long-term needs. She also advised students to begin controlling impulse buying behaviour by creating monthly budgets, setting spending limits, avoiding shopping while emotional, and evaluating expenditures regularly.
In addition to financial management, Shintya emphasised the importance of understanding the risks involved when taking out loans. She stated that loans should be used for urgent needs and adjusted to one’s ability to repay. If used for productive purposes, the loan tenor should also be aligned with the expected income from the business being run.
During the event, participants also gained an understanding of the importance of maintaining personal data security amidst increasing digital activity. Awareness of data security is considered a crucial factor in creating a safe and responsible digital financial ecosystem.
“As a generation that grew up with technology, students have a great opportunity to use various digital services productively. However, at the same time, they also need to understand the accompanying risks so they can make wiser and more responsible decisions,” Shintya said.
The Pindar Mengajar programme is part of an effort to increase national financial literacy and inclusion through collaboration between industry, education, regulators, and the community.
Based on the 2025 National Survey of Financial Literacy and Inclusion (SNLIK) conducted by OJK and BPS, the Indonesian financial literacy index was recorded at 66.46%, while the financial inclusion index reached 80.51%.
Moving forward, digital financial education, data security, and responsible financial management must continue to be strengthened so that the younger generation can build healthy financial habits from an early age.