PurposeThe study aims to verify and compare the relationship of consumer innovativeness and technostress for FinTech usage behavior of Korean and Chinese Gen Z consumers.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes an integrative causal model derived from consumer innovativeness, technostress, and FinTech usage intention of the Korean and Chinese Gen Z consumers and test the causal relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe study results showed that social innovativeness negatively affected the three dimensions of technostress and had a significant positive impact on FinTech usage intention for all samples. Hedonist innovativeness had no significant positive impact on FinTech usage intention for all samples, but it differently affected the three sub-dimensions of technostress (uncertainty, invasion, and complexity) for each sample.Originality/valueThis study presents nascent literature on the causal relationships of consumer innovativeness, technostress, and FinTech usage behavior for Korean and Chinese Gen Z consumers.