While creating our own online stores, we learned one key lesson about online payments: you need to offer the payment methods your customers prefer.
Get this wrong, and you could lose a lot of your potential sales.
This is why we still look closely at digital payments statistics. The more you understand your customers’ payment behaviors, the more likely they are to purchase your products.
So, if you’re interested in learning more, we’ve gathered the most important online payment statistics, facts, and data. Let’s see how you can use these insights to boost your sales.
The Ultimate List of Digital Payments Statistics
We’ve dug deep into industry reports and our own experience to bring you the most important payment insights.
To help you find exactly what you’re looking for, we’ve organized these online payments statistics into easy-to-navigate sections below:
Quick note: When we talk about online payments, we mean any method that uses the Internet—from eCommerce checkouts to contactless payments at brick-and-mortar stores.
General Online Payment Statistics
First, let’s look at the big picture of online payments. These statistics reveal the incredible growth and impact of digital payments in today’s business world.
1. 9 out of 10 consumers have used digital payments.
This widespread adoption of digital payments isn’t just a trend – it’s becoming the norm. More people are choosing digital payment methods for both online shopping and in-store purchases.
For business owners, this means offering digital payment options isn’t just a nice thing anymore. It’s essential for staying competitive. Otherwise, you can push customers away and unintentionally cause them to abandon their carts.
2. Cash withdrawals are shrinking – making up just 7% of spending in developed countries and 16% in developing markets.
These numbers tell an important story about the decline of cash payments worldwide.
Even in developing markets where cash was once king, digital payments are gaining ground fast. This shift shows that businesses everywhere need to prepare for a more cashless future.
3. Mobile point-of-sale leads the digital payment sector, with experts predicting it will process $12.56 trillion in transactions by the end of 2025.
Even if you run a traditional brick-and-mortar store, your customers expect to pay with their phones. Offering digital payment options at your point-of-sale system can help you avoid losing sales to competitors who do.
Plus, customers appreciate the convenience of not having to carry physical cards.
More General Digital Payments Stats
Expert forecasts show the online payment industry will jump in value from $103.2 billion in 2023 to $160.0 billion by 2028.
Digital payments are set to handle $20.37 trillion in transactions in 2025.
Merchants spend about $138 billion yearly on online payment processing fees.
Outside of China, Visa and Mastercard handle 90% of all online payments worldwide and are worth around $850 billion combined.
When it comes to using payment gateways, big companies make up 55% of all transactions processed, while small and medium businesses handle 45%.
Popular Digital Payment Methods and Processors
Next, let’s see who’s powering online payments behind the scenes. These statistics show which payment processors dominate the market and how customers choose to pay through them.
4. PayPal leads the payment processing market share (25.8%), followed closely by Stripe (23.4%), Shopify Pay (21.3%), and Amazon Pay (3.6%).
Payment processors are the companies that handle the behind-the-scenes work of moving money from your customer’s account to yours. They verify the payment information, check for fraud, and make sure the funds are transferred securely.
While PayPal has long dominated this space, Stripe has grown rapidly. We often recommend Stripe because it provides more features and typically has lower fees.
Plus, many WordPress payment plugins, like WP Simple Pay, are built specifically to work with Stripe. This is what we suggest business owners use if they don’t want to use a full-fledged eCommerce platform.
You can learn more about the plugin in our detailed WP Simple Pay review.
Shopify Pay has also gained ground thanks to the boom in online stores, while Amazon Pay leverages the trust of the Amazon brand.
5. Most people prefer paying for their online transactions with digital wallets (50%), followed by credit cards (22%) and debit cards (12%).
It’s not surprising – digital wallets are faster than entering card details, often more secure, and let shoppers pay using funds from multiple sources.
Adding digital wallet support to your website is easier than you might think. For instance, WP Simple Pay comes with built-in support for popular digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. This way, you won’t miss out on potential sales.
What’s more, you get helpful features like payment form templates, recurring payments, and location-based tax calculations. These tools make it easy to create a professional payment experience for your customers.
6. In the United States, PayPal dominates digital wallet usage (36%), while Apple Pay (20%) and Venmo follow (16%).
These platforms lead the market because they’ve earned user trust and are easy to use. PayPal‘s early start in eCommerce has made it a household name, while Apple Pay’s seamless integration with iOS devices makes it convenient for iPhone users.
On the other hand, Venmo‘s social payment features have captured the peer-to-peer market, especially among younger users.
Adding these popular payment methods to your WordPress site is straightforward. If you want to run an online store, you can use WooCommerce, as it supports all these options through its payment extensions.
If you sell digital downloads, then we recommend Easy Digital Downloads instead. It’s what we use to sell our WordPress plugins, and it’s been a reliable solution for us for many years.
The plugin comes with built-in support for major digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Cash App, and more. You can find out more about the platform in our Easy Digital Downloads review.
7. The number of users with 3 or more digital wallets has dropped by 10%, while single-wallet users have increased by 10%.
This trend shows that people prefer simplicity in their payment methods. However, since different customers prefer different wallets, businesses still need to offer multiple options to maximize their reach.
When choosing which payment methods to offer, consider where your customers are located. For example, in the United States, Cash App is becoming increasingly popular, especially among the younger generations.
European countries often have their own preferred methods – like Bancontact in Belgium and iDEAL in the Netherlands.
8. When funding their digital wallets, payment preferences vary by country. Americans prefer credit cards (36%), while British and Australian consumers favor debit cards (50% and 47%).
Even though digital wallets have become the most popular way to pay online, credit and debit cards aren’t going anywhere. After all, these cards are how most people add money to their digital wallets in the first place.
Plus, having traditional credit and debit card payment options gives your customers a backup method when their digital wallets aren’t working.
Aside from WP Simple Pay, you can also use a form plugin like WPForms to accept payments on your website. It’s what we use to create contact forms on WPBeginner and other sites.
This is another great option if you sell only a few products or services and just want a simple payment form. WPForms integrates with both PayPal and Stripe, so you can accept all major payment methods without any complicated setup.
For more information, you can check out our guide on how to easily accept credit card payments in WordPress.
More Popular Online Payments Statistics
PayPal continues to show strong usage, with 40% of US adults using it for online purchases.
Stripe powers over 1.597 million websites worldwide.
Stripe adds about 1,000 new businesses daily.
Digital wallets process 50% of global eCommerce spending and 30% of global point-of-sale spending.
For in-store purchases, payment methods are more evenly split: digital wallets lead at 30%, followed closely by credit cards (27%) and debit cards (23%).
Online person-to-person (P2P) payments make up 22% of all digital transactions.
24% of US adults use Apple Pay for online transactions.
Cash App has become a major player, now used by 115 million Americans.
In China, Alipay shows impressive daily usage, with 45% of adults using it daily and another 41% weekly.
About 80 million merchants accept AliPay payments.
Consumer Payment Behavior & Demographics
Let’s now look at how customers make decisions about payments and what influences their buying behavior.
9. 75% of consumers want to use their preferred payment method when shopping.
Have you ever found the perfect product online, only to realize that the store doesn’t accept your preferred payment option? You’re not alone. Many users would think twice and even abandon their purchase if they can’t use their favorite payment method.
Having a payment form that offers multiple payment options will make your customers feel more comfortable buying from you. This flexibility can help reduce cart abandonment and boost your sales.
But don’t worry. Offering this feature is not that complicated.
For WordPress users, you can learn more about setting this up in our guide on how to let users choose their payment method in WordPress.
10. PayPal users shop 60% more often compared to people who use other payment methods.
This statistic makes sense when you consider PayPal’s widespread acceptance across online stores. When customers know they can use their PayPal account almost anywhere, they’re more likely to make purchases without hesitation.
This higher purchase frequency also shows how much customers value familiar, trusted payment methods. When they see a payment option they’ve used successfully before, they feel more confident about buying.
11. 80% of consumers say a smooth payment process matters more than other online shopping features.
Your store’s payment experience can make or break a sale. Even if you have great products and competitive prices, a complicated checkout process might drive customers away.
This goes beyond just offering the right payment methods. Small details matter, like showing the total cost upfront, including taxes and shipping fees. This way, there are no hidden surprises that might make customers abandon their carts at the last minute.
You will also want to add autocomplete for address fields so that customers don’t have to type everything manually. These small conveniences add up to create a professional checkout experience that customers trust.
More Payment Behavior Statistics
48% of all shoppers say having multiple payment options is essential when making a purchase.
About 13% of shoppers abandon their carts simply because a store doesn’t offer enough payment methods.
For 10% of consumers worldwide, being able to use their preferred payment method is the most important feature of their shopping experience.
2023 marked a historic shift in small purchases. For the first time, cash wasn’t the most popular choice for transactions under $25, with shoppers preferring cards instead.
People under 55 use cash for just 12% of their payments, while those 55 and older use it for 22%.
69% of consumers say trust and security are their top concerns when choosing a digital wallet payment provider.
eCommerce Payment Insights
The numbers don’t lie – how you handle payments can directly impact your sales. Here’s what the latest eCommerce payments stats tell us about checkout success.
12. Online stores with 4 express checkout options see 67% conversion rates, compared to 54% with just 1 option and 52% with no express checkout.
Express checkout lets customers complete their purchases with just one or two clicks using saved payment information. Think of Amazon’s ‘Buy Now’ button – features like this make buying faster and easier.
The higher conversion rates make sense. The fewer steps between wanting to buy and completing the purchase, the less likely customers are to change their minds.
If you want to add express checkout to your WooCommerce store, then we recommend using FunnelKit. It’s a sales funnel plugin that lets you optimize your checkout process, including adding express checkout options.
Furthermore, it supports all the payment methods we’ve discussed above. It even includes A/B testing features so you can find the best-performing checkout layout for your store.
You can learn more about all these features in our detailed FunnelKit review.
🚨 Need help with building your online store? Our WordPress experts at WPBeginner Pro Services can help you create a professional eCommerce website that converts visitors into customers. We’ll handle everything from design to WooCommerce while you focus on your business.
→ Book a Free Consultation Today! ←
13. Checkout processes that take longer than 90 seconds can reduce conversion rates by 47%.
Speed matters in online checkout. While customers will be a bit more patient during payment than during browsing, a long checkout process can still cost you sales.
One way to make your checkout faster is to optimize your eCommerce website’s overall performance. This includes using a good hosting provider, optimizing your images, and minimizing the use of heavy plugins that might slow down your checkout page.
Another way is to customize your checkout and remove unnecessary steps. For example, you can reduce the number of form fields and enable guest checkout. These small changes can reduce valuable seconds off your checkout time.
You may also want to offer a one-click checkout. This lets customers complete their purchase with a single button click because their shipping, billing, and payment details are already saved.
This creates the fastest possible checkout experience and can significantly boost your conversion rates.
14. 36% of retailers say reducing payment processing fees is their top priority.
These fees can really add up, especially for smaller purchases.
For example, if you sell a $5 item, and the customer pays for it using PayPal, you′ll need to pay 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. That’s almost $0.67 on a single $5 sale.
Now, multiply that by 100 sales, and you’re looking at $67 in fees alone. For small businesses selling low-priced items, these fees can seriously cut into your profits.
But don’t worry. You can reduce these fees in several ways.
One approach is to pass payment processing fees to customers. This way, you can maintain your profit margins while being transparent about costs.
If you use Stripe as your payment processor, we also have a detailed guide on how to reduce Stripe transaction fees that can help you save money.
15. 35% of businesses plan to invest in innovative payment features like live chat, social media payments, and artificial intelligence.
These new ways to pay are changing how people shop online. For example, customers can now buy products directly through Facebook Messenger or make purchases during a live chat session with customer service.
If you want to sell through chat on your website, LiveChat is a great option. We use it ourselves on WPBeginner Pro Services to communicate with potential customers.
The great thing about LiveChat is it can connect with payment processors like PayPal and Mollie. This lets you accept payments, manage subscriptions, and handle sales right in your chat conversations.
Head over to our LiveChat review to learn more about the platform.
More eCommerce Payments Stats
Good payment systems can boost customer retention by 15% to 20%.
Adding popular digital payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay, and Shop Pay can increase conversion rates by up to 50%.
When it comes to checkout design, single-page checkouts convert better at 61% compared to multi-page checkouts at 56%.
While guest shoppers make up 59% of all eCommerce orders, they convert at 52%. This is lower than registered customers, who convert at 64%.
Adding new payment methods can increase sales by 24% in small businesses.
48% of businesses lose up to 10% of their international sales because their payment processors don’t offer suitable payment options for global customers.
Payment failure rates typically range from 5% to 10%, depending on location and payment method.
Businesses offering PayPal tend to perform better, with 25% higher conversion rates overall.
Enterprises that use PayPal see even better results, with 33% more completed checkouts compared to other methods.
The Rise of “Buy Now, Pay Later” Methods
“Buy Now, Pay Later” services (BNPL) are changing how people shop online. Here’s what you should know about them:
16. PayPal Credit is the most popular BPNL service used by consumers at 57%, followed by Afterpay (29%), Affirm (28%), Klarna (23%), and Zip (19%).
These services are popular for different reasons.
Some, like Affirm, don’t charge late fees, while others, like Afterpay, don’t specify a minimum purchase amount. There are also options like Klarna, which have interest-free payments.
Before adding BNPL to your store, make sure to research which options your target customers prefer most. This way, you can offer the payment methods they’re most likely to use and get your money’s worth.
17. 4 in 10 shoppers would choose BNPL over credit cards for expensive purchases.
This could be a game-changer for businesses selling higher-priced items.
For example, if you sell furniture, electronics, or premium services, offering BNPL might help you close more sales. That’s because it can make larger purchases feel more manageable for customers.
18. 43% of holiday shoppers choose where to buy based on BNPL availability.
This high percentage makes sense during the holiday season when people want to spread out their shopping expenses.
However, before adding BNPL to your store, you need to consider the costs carefully. We’ve found that the processing fees for BNPL services can be higher than regular credit card fees.
You might also see more returns with BNPL purchases because this payment method often encourages impulse buying. This can hurt your bottom line when you factor in return shipping and restocking costs.
If you’re not confident in adding BNPL services, then you may want to consider enabling deposit payments instead. This is much more straightforward because you can control the deposit amount and payment terms.
More BNPL Statistics
29% of consumers have used BNPL services, with another 15% saying they are interested in trying them.
Users choose BNPL for three main reasons: easier checkout (45%), payment flexibility (44%), and lower interest rates (36%).
Half of both Gen Z and Millennial shoppers use BNPL platforms for purchases, making them the most likely age groups to use this payment option.
58% of BNPL users keep their monthly payments modest at $100 or less.
Electronics tops the BNPL purchase list in the US, with 50% of Americans using these services to buy them.
80% of BNPL users start their shopping at BNPL provider websites rather than retailer sites.
68% of BNPL users decide to use installment payments before reaching checkout.
When given a choice, 40% of BNPL users would have used credit cards instead, while 29% would have used debit cards or cash.
PayPal Credit drives twice as many purchases compared to their standard checkout option.
Mobile & Contactless Payments
When talking about digital payments, it’s important to talk about mobile and contactless options because they’re quickly becoming the norm.
Let’s see how these payment methods are reshaping the way people pay.
19. 46% of card users have switched to contactless payment methods like mobile payments, digital wallets, and online banking.
The convenience of paying with just a phone tap or quick scan has made traditional card swipes feel outdated.
For brick-and-mortar business owners, this means you will need to ensure your payment system can handle these modern payment methods.
20. QR code payments are set to grow by over 590% in Southeast Asia.
QR code payments are becoming popular because they’re simple to use and don’t require expensive hardware – just a smartphone camera.
This payment method is especially common in Southeast Asian markets.
For example, in countries like Thailand, customers often pay by scanning QR codes through apps like GrabPay or their local bank apps.
21. Biometric payments are expected to reach 1 billion users by the end of 2025.
While this sounds impressive, consider carefully whether your business needs biometric payment options. Biometric payments make more sense for high-security transactions or specific industries like banking and healthcare.
If you’re running a standard WordPress website, focusing on popular payment methods like digital wallets and card payments will serve your customers better.
More Mobile Payment Statistics
Because of the pandemic, 79% of consumers globally now use contactless payments.
In the United States, 70% of merchants say customers are asking for contactless payment options.
Most users access digital wallets through smartphones (68%) or smartwatches (41%).
Generation Z leads the contactless payment trend. They are 61% more likely than other age groups to use tap-to-pay for their debit transactions.
Looking ahead, QR code payments in the US are expected to gain 16 million new users by the end of 2025.
The market for biometric payment authentication is projected to grow 20% annually, reaching $15.8 billion by 2027.
Alternative Payment Methods
Beyond traditional cards, digital wallets, and BNPL services, several other payment methods are gaining traction. Let’s look at some interesting trends:
22. About 80% of US shoppers who use cryptocurrency for payments choose Bitcoin.
While crypto payments aren’t mainstream yet, they’re becoming more popular among tech-savvy customers. Some buyers prefer crypto because of its privacy features, while others appreciate avoiding currency conversion fees for international purchases.
For businesses, accepting crypto can mean lower processing fees and no chargebacks. This is because crypto transactions are verified by the blockchain network instead of banks or card companies, making them final and secure.
If you’re interested in adding this option, check out our guide on how to accept Bitcoin payments in WordPress.
23. In Europe, 25% of online purchases are paid through bank transfers using the SEPA system.
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a payment system that makes bank transfers as easy as local payments across 36 European countries.
It’s popular because it’s secure and usually has lower fees than credit cards. What’s more, it feels familiar to European customers who regularly use bank transfers.
For businesses selling to European customers, SEPA payments offer several advantages. There’s no risk of chargebacks, fees are typically lower than credit cards, and payments are guaranteed once cleared.
If you want to tap into the European market, we have a detailed tutorial on how to accept SEPA payments in WordPress to help you get started.
More Alternative Payment Statistics
The cryptocurrency payment market is growing rapidly, expected to increase by 70% yearly and reach $4.5 billion by 2026.
The Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network processed 8.4 billion payments worth $21.5 trillion in the third quarter of 2024.
In Europe, Giropay has emerged as a significant player, ranking as the 10th most popular payment processor globally.
Payment Security & Trust Statistics
With online fraud on the rise, payment security has become a major concern for shoppers.
Let’s look at what the last few digital payments stats tell us about security and trust in online transactions.
24. 21% of consumers fear credit card theft, while 19% worry about misuse of their personal data.
This concern is well-founded, considering the amount of payment fraud today. In the US alone, 52 million Americans have had fraudulent charges on their cards, with unauthorized purchases adding up to more than $5 billion.
For this reason, it’s important to make your payment process as secure as possible and show customers that their data is protected.
You also want to secure your WordPress website in all areas to prevent hackers from accessing sensitive payment information on your site.
25. Adding trust badges to payment forms can increase conversions by 42%.
Trust badges are those small security symbols you often see on a site or during checkout, like Norton Secured or VeriSign.
Think of them as digital versions of storefront security system stickers – they show customers your site is protected.
These badges work because they provide visual social proof that your checkout is secure. When customers see familiar security logos, they feel more confident sharing their payment information.
Besides trust badges, you should also enable an SSL certificate on your website. This adds the padlock icon in the browser’s address bar and encrypts customer data.
It’s especially important because Google warns visitors about websites without SSL. This can scare away potential customers before they even reach your website.
26. Businesses that thoroughly test their payment systems see 25% fewer losses from fraud.
When testing payments, you need to look for several key issues.
First, check if your payment forms handle errors correctly, like expired cards or insufficient funds. Then, you will need to see if the transaction amounts are accurate and that customer data is being properly encrypted.
You should also test if your fraud prevention measures can catch suspicious activities, like multiple failed payment attempts.
If you use WP Simple Pay, you can use its payment testing mode to simulate different payment scenarios.
This way, you can catch potential problems early and ensure your payment system works smoothly when real customers make purchases.
More Payment Security Statistics
7 in 10 consumers have security concerns about one-click checkout features.
Businesses that optimize their payment processes can see conversion rates improve by 10-15%.
Automated testing of payment systems can reduce payment bugs by up to 40%.
Between 25% and 50% of online stores don’t offer important features like two-factor authentication, price matching, and discount coupon code capabilities.
41% of businesses were able to recover at least 75% of stolen funds in 2023.
However, 30% were unable to recover any money at all.
Sources:
ABSR (Absolute Business Solutions & Research), Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Bankrate, BlueSnap, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Capital One Shopping, Chargeflow, eMarketer, Federal Reserve Services, Fit Small Business, Forrester, IBS Intelligence, Market.us, McKinsey, Merchant Savvy, PayPal, PYMNTS, Statista, Testlio, and Worldpay.
That’s all for our list of online payments statistics, data, and trends you must know. We hope these insights have been helpful to you.
If you want to read more research-based articles like this one, then check out the guides below:
Find More Useful Insights for Your Online Business
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.