This study aims to validate factors driving satisfaction and loyalty in P2P service exchanges: feelings of belonging to a community, cost saving incentive, environmental motivation, non-ownership benefits, perceived exchange authenticity, P2P trust, trust in the platform, and supply/demand ratio.

Whereas previous studies exploring the determinants of satisfaction of P2P exchanges largely used the theory of reasoned action or planned behavior (Bucher et al. 2016; Hamari et al. 2015; Plouffe 2008; Teubner et al. 2016; Tussyadiah 2016), this study follows marketing researchers who built on the access paradigm with the concept of “non-ownership services” (Moeller & Wittkowski 2010), and “access based” -consumption or -services (Bardhi & Eckhardt 2012; Schaefers et al. 2016). 

The context of this study is ridesharing (carpooling in the U.S.), organized by online platform providers matching P2P service exchange participants: drivers offer transportation and passengers economically contributes to the trip. Whereas the aforementioned studies predominantly rely on vignette studies and survey data from M-Turk, this study, like Schaefers et al. (2015), is based on an original dataset collected from a large sample of active participants in long distance ridesharing, combing survey responses and actual behavioral measures originating from a platform’s exchange history (i.e. distance shared). The satisfaction and loyalty model was estimated using Smart PLS.

Satisfaction with P2P services do not solely depends on utilitarian aspects (e.g. cost, convenience) but also emotional aspects (e.g. social interactions, fun) of the exchanges. A different set of satisfaction determinants is observed depending on the ridesharing participants’ initial motivations and attitudes. Participants sharing with a pro-social and communal style are more likely to use the platform again when satisfied with P2P service exchanges. However, participants sharing with an opportunistic style are less likely to remain loyal to the platform.