Across the global economy, ecommerce has emerged as an increasingly crucial component of business strategy. It’s a core consideration for ambitious merchants who are looking to expand and operate both in their domestic market and internationally.
In line with the growth of ecommerce, there has been a massive surge in the adoption of digital payment methods. Cash is in decline, and by 2026, it is expected to be used for less than 10% of global transactions made at point-of-sale (POS).
In contrast, this year, 77% of global ecommerce purchases will be made via digital and local payment methods. It’s now predicted that the total transaction value in the digital payments market will reach USD 15 trillion by 2027, with digital commerce responsible for the majority share.
Digital wallet growth continues to accelerate, the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) market is expected to see sustainable growth, and Open Banking-powered account-to-account (A2A) payments are projected to surge. The Worldpay from FIS Global Payments Report 2023 found there are now around 70 real-time payment schemes providing high-speed payment rails that have driven A2A payments to account for USD 525 billion in global ecommerce transaction value last year – up 13% from USD 463 billion in 2021.
The plethora of payment options available today presents both a challenge and an opportunity for payment service providers (PSPs) as well as merchants seeking global success. It’s important they cut through the complexity to create a payment strategy that’s informed by consumer behaviour and agile enough to react to a developing payments landscape. Putting together a checklist (and checking it twice!)
There is lots to do. This is why it’s important to create a payment checklist that addresses the various variables in play.
Merchants need to ensure they are complying with local rules and regulations in each market, whilst making provisions for local language, fraud detection and prevention, and setting the right security standards.
It’s critical they build a thorough understanding of local consumer behaviour and payment preferences. It’s not a case of one size fits all. Europe, for example, is extremely fragmented when it comes to payment methods.
Germany and France are neighbouring countries and on the face of it could be very similar. But if you go to Germany, you’ll find bank-to-bank transfers, including Giropay and SOFORT, are the leading payment methods. And if you go to France, it’s cards – including global names like Visa and local ones such as Cartes Bancaires (CB).
In Italy, meanwhile, there is a real mixed bag of payment methods, with bank transfers, like MyBank, and e-wallets, such as Satispay and Bancomat Pay, leading the way.
Once merchants understand the market, they can cater to it. It’s essential for them to meet consumer expectations in each market they operate in, or they will be at a serious disadvantage.
In India, for example, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is now processing around 60% of all domestic payments. It has over 300 million active users and supports nearly 400 banks and 100 third-party apps. According to the NPCI, the total value of UPI transactions for May 2023 hit a record INR 14 trillion (equivalent to around USD 173 billion). Merchants can’t afford to ignore it.
Pix, the Brazilian instant payments scheme, is another one that’s moved the needle and highlighted how the most powerful payment methods are the ones that meet people in the context and the geography they are actually in. Pix has had a meteoric rise since launching in November 2020, and by the middle of 2023, it had more than 150 million users.
By incorporating the right payment methods, such as Pix and UPI, at their checkout, merchants can increase conversion rates and avoid the issue of cart abandonment, which continues to hinder expansion efforts. Globally, cart abandonment rates remain high – reaching 85% in Africa and similarly, 83% in Latin America. North America (79%) and Europe (79%) are not doing much better, and the lowest rate of cart abandonment stands at 76% in Asia and the Pacific.
Despite being relatively young, these new payment methods are experiencing huge and rapid growth. For online businesses, this presents both opportunities and challenges as they need to swiftly respond to the developing payments landscape. Having an agile payment strategy in place and the right partners at their side is essential. Only if they stay ahead and react quickly can they be successful in moving into new markets, growing existing ones, and cementing their position as leaders in the digital economy.
This editorial piece was first published in The Paypers' Cross-Border Payments and Ecommerce Report 2023–2024, which offers a deep-dive into the fast-growing cross-border market and aims to serve as the ultimate source of information for businesses interested in expanding globally.
Based in London, Motie joined PPRO in 2023 as Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for advancing the company’s global commercial strategy, and as of October, he was appointed as CEO. He has over 20 years of experience in payments, having held a number of senior executive positions with renowned companies in the industry. He spent seven years in senior management roles at Worldpay and served as CCO at payments technology company Nuvei.
PPRO provides digital payment solutions to businesses and banks so that they can scale their payment services through one connection. Citi, PayPal, and Stripe are just some of the names that depend on PPRO to accelerate their roadmaps, boost their conversions, and eliminate the complexities of digital payments.
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