Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of website quality on online impulse buying behavior (OIBB) in China, and assess the moderating roles of sales promotion and credit card use.

Design/methodology/approach
An online and personal survey from 1,161 online shoppers belonging to three big cities of China – Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing – was conducted. A random sampling technique was utilized for data collection. Data were analyzed using validity and reliability tests, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.

Findings
Three major findings discovered are: first, the website quality positively affects the OIBB; second, the sales promotion significantly influences OIBB and acts as a strong moderator on the relationship between website quality and online impulse buying; and third, the online impulse purchases are positively influenced by use of credit card, and the use of credit card enhances the relationship between website quality and online impulse buying.

Research limitations/implications
First, the website quality positively affects the OIBB; second, the sales promotion significantly influences OIBB and acts as a strong moderator in the relationship between website quality and online impulse buying; and third, online impulse purchases are positively influenced by credit card use. Moreover, credit card use enhances the relationship between website quality and online impulse buying.

Originality/value
This research is the first to investigate the relationship between website quality and OIBB in China, with sales promotion and credit card use as moderators.