PurposeFacial recognition payment is an emerging mobile payment method that uses human biometrics for personal identification. The purpose of this study is to examine how users' salient beliefs regarding the technology–organization–environment–individual (TOE–I) dimensions affect their attitudes and how attitudes subsequently influence the intention to use facial recognition payment in offline contactless services.Design/methodology/approachThis study comprehensively investigates customers' decision-making psychological mechanism of using facial recognition payment by integrating the belief–attitude–intention (B–A–I) model and the extended TOE–I framework. Data from 420 valid samples were collected through an online survey and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsResearch results indicate that convenience and perceived herd exert positive effects on trust and satisfaction. Meanwhile, familiarity has a significantly positive effect only on trust but not on satisfaction. In contrast, perceived privacy risk exhibits a negative effect on both trust and satisfaction. Trust and satisfaction positively influence the intention to use facial recognition payment. Unexpectedly, self-awareness negatively moderates the effect of satisfaction on intention to use, but its effect on the relationship between trust and intention to use is non-significant.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the early studies that explicate customers' psychological mechanism in facial recognition payment in offline contactless services through an understanding of the B–A–I causal linkages with the identification of users' perceptions from a comprehensive context-specific perspective. This study enriches the literature on facial recognition payment and explores the moderating role of self-awareness in the relationship between users' attitudes and intention to use, thereby revealing a complex psychological process in the usage of offline facial recognition payment systems.