Nuvei webinar key takeaways – Pay to play

Irina Ionescu, Senior Editor at The Paypers, uncovers the key takeaways from the latest webinar featuring Nuvei on the state of global gamers, their payment preferences, and how to turn payments into a competitive advantage.

In the USD188 billion video games industry, payment friction at checkout has become one of the biggest hidden threats to conversion, recurring revenue growth, and loyalty. According to research from Nuvei based on 6,000 gamers across North America, Europe, and APAC, 55% of players have abandoned purchases due to payment failures or slow processing. This translates into billions in recoverable  revenue that gaming publishers can no longer afford to ignore.

The Paypers recently hosted an insightful interview in collaboration with Nuvei and MY.GAMES. – ‘Pay to play: Inside the minds and wallets of global gamers’. Payment experts Andre Santos from Nuvei and Elena Emelyanova from MY.GAMES tackled the survey’s findings and shared actionable strategies to transform payments from a back-office function into a competitive advantage.

Below you can find summarised the key takeaways of the webinar.

The state of gaming payments: a reality check

The research paints a clear picture of modern gaming behaviour. Mobile dominates as the primary gaming device, with over 52% of surveyed players gaming for more than 10 hours weekly. Most importantly, more than half of the players have made in-game purchases, making payment optimisation critical for revenue growth.

Andre Santos highlighted some alarming statistics that should worry every publisher – 55% abandonment rates, over 50% of players willing to switch games to access better payment experiences, and 64% of customers valuing local payment options. These statistics portray mainstream behaviours for users.

Security concerns drive payment decisions

One of the most surprising findings of the survey highlighted in the webinar was that 91% of gamers are concerned about unauthorised charges when linking their preferred payment method to the game. Despite significant evolution in payment technologies and alternative payment methods, trust remains one of the decisive factors in driving continued spend from players. This high level of security awareness creates both challenges and opportunities for publishers willing to invest in robust, transparent payment infrastructures.

Elena Emelyanova noted that players have become increasingly educated about payment flows and their rights, with players contacting customer support and reporting suspicious patterns or fraudulent schemes. However, in exchange for their collaboration, customers ‘create very high expectations for the payment experience.’

The direct-to-developer movement

Over 50% of players prefer purchasing directly from developers rather than through platforms, motivated by three key factors: bonus content, loyalty rewards, and developer support. The trend shows that players prefer giving their money directly to game creators, not intermediaries. According to Andre Santos, the concept comes from other segments ‘but seeing it in gaming is fascinating.’ This preference shows that customers want to better support the game's growth and future development.

Localisation is the make-or-break factor

Local payment methods emerged as a critical success factor, with 64% of gamers valuing region-specific payment options. However, their impact varies dramatically by region. For instance, in the APAC region, e-wallet usage trumps credit cards, while the US stays largely loyal to cards and alternatives such as Apple Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay.

However, a poor localisation strategy comes with hidden costs, and Andre Santos used foreign exchange as an example. According to the payment expert, companies often underestimate the impact of forex. For instance, if a German user purchases in-game packages in Turkish liras to exploit pricing differences, companies lose on multiple fronts – the price differential, the forex conversion, and up to 3% or more on exotic currency exchanges.

Payments as product

Leading gaming publishers treat payments as a strategic product. Both panellists provided examples to support this affirmation, with Elena Emelyanova noting that education remains crucial. According to her, many gaming publishers continue to treat payments as a utility rather than a growth opportunity and fail to see how frictionless payments  can drive engagement and revenue.

The orchestration solution

As the discussion progressed, the panellists discussed the most impactful strategies for 2026. Elena Emelyanova mentioned that orchestration strategy provides flexibility, lowers costs, improves performance, and enhances users’ experience. She also outlined three essential steps for balancing broad payment coverage with operational simplicity:

• Focus on payment methods that drive conversion in top markets;
• Consider using an orchestration platform to route transactions to best performing providers;
• Regularly measure each payment method's performance across conversion, cost, fraud risk, and technical complexity.

The Merchant of Record dilemma

The experts addressed the growing trend of Merchant of Record (MoR) solutions, highlighting both benefits and significant drawbacks. And, while MoR providers handle complex tax and regulatory requirements, they also come with limitations. Some of these limitations may include losing control over UI/UX, and losing access to data but are addressable and, in the end, it comes down to selecting the right partner for MoR services.

Conclusion

With players being more aware of their payment options and willing to switch games for better experiences, publishers can no longer treat payments as an afterthought.

The path forward requires a fundamental shift in mindset, where payments start being seen as a strategic differentiator as opposed to a background utility tool. Publishers who invest in robust payment infrastructure, prioritise localisation, and adopt orchestration strategies will see the revenue that competitors leave on the table. In an industry where even 1% improvement in conversion can mean billions in additional revenue, the question isn't whether to optimise payments, but how quickly you can start.

Looking to learn more about the role of a good payments strategy for game publishers? Watch the full webinar featuring Nuvei and MY.GAMES on demand here.

 

About the author

Irina is a Senior Editor at The Paypers, primarily specialising in online payments and fraud prevention. She has a Ph.D. in Economics and a strong economic academic background, with interests in fraud prevention, chargebacks, fintech, ecommerce, and online payments. Reach out to her via LinkedIn or email at irina@thepaypers.com.

 

 

About Nuvei

Nuvei is accelerating the business of clients around the world. Nuvei’s modular, flexible, and scalable technology allows leading companies to accept next-gen payments, offer all payout options, and benefit from card issuing, banking, risk, and fraud management services. Connecting businesses to their customers in more than 200 markets, with local acquiring in 50 markets, 150 currencies, and 720 alternative payment methods, Nuvei provides the technology and insights for customers and partners to succeed locally and globally with one integration. For more information, visit www.nuvei.com.