Scarcity messages are known as effective promotional tools that stimulate consumer purchases. Accordingly, prior studies have distinguished scarcity message types into time-limited and quantity-limited and investigated their effects on consumer purchase intention. According to prior research, unlike time-limited messages, quantity-limited messages enhance consumers' perceived competition, thereby exerting a more positive influence on purchase intention. However, existing studies have limitations in generalizing their results because they did not consider the level of scarcity that can be presented in scarcity messages or the temporal distance at which product sales begin. Therefore, this study investigated the role of temporal distance in the effects of scarcity message type and scarcity level on consumer purchase intention. This study consisted of two experiments (Experiment 1: new product launch, Experiment 2: price discount). The results showed identical patterns across both experiments. When scarcity messages were presented for the distant future, the effects of scarcity message type and scarcity level were not significant; however, when presented for the near future, consumer purchase intention varied according to scarcity message type and scarcity level. Specifically, for time-limited messages, higher scarcity levels led to higher purchase intention, whereas for quantity-limited messages, higher scarcity levels actually led to lower purchase intention, revealing differential results. Additionally, in Experiment 1 (new product launch), the mediating role of perceived uniqueness was found, while in Experiment 2 (price discount), the mediating role of perceived value was found. Finally, academic and practical implications of this study were presented, and limitations and future research directions were discussed.