Persepsi Pengguna Terhadap Keandalan Dan Keamanan Sistem Pembayaran Uang Kuliah Digital Melalui Aplikasi Satuva

Abstrak

Digital transformation in higher education has driven the development of technology-based service systems, one of which is the SATUVA application used by Universitas Alwashliyah Medan as an e-learning platform as well as a digital tuition payment service. This study aims to describe students' perceptions of the reliability and security of the digital payment system through the SATUVA application. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was employed to explore users' experiences in depth. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participatory observation, and documentation involving 10 purposively selected informants. Data analysis followed the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014) model. The findings identified four main themes: (1) ease of access and efficiency, (2) suboptimal system reliability characterized by recurring transaction failures particularly through BSI bank accounts and network instability, (3) data security anxiety due to limited transparency on data protection practices, and (4) institution-based trust as the primary factor sustaining system usage despite technical shortcomings. A captive user phenomenon was identified, wherein students continued using the system not out of satisfaction but due to the absence of official alternatives. This study recommends infrastructure improvements, transparent security policies, and regular user socialization.