Consumer Behavior

Gen Z, millennials loving invisible transactions

Photo: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com

May 14, 2025

Gen Z and millennials are embracing, and expecting, in-app payments and 60% cite invisible transactions as the best transaction experience.

Those are findings from a NMI survey of 1,000 U.S. adults that also revealed 64% of respondents embrace biometric authentication like Face ID or fingerprints, according to a press release.

Among parents with children under 25 living at home, 72% say they would prefer to pay for everything through an app if they could, compared to 53% of consumers overall — and 64% of Gen Z and millennials will take their business elsewhere if in-app payments aren't an option.

"Merchants beware! Younger generations are setting the pace when it comes to payment technology, and businesses that want to remain competitive need to keep up. Millennials, Gen Z and busy parents expect seamless, app-based, and subscription-style payments that fit into their daily lives. And if businesses can't meet those expectations, these customers are quick to shift their loyalty and move on. To succeed in this evolving landscape, brands must prioritize flexible, mobile-first solutions that cater to how younger audiences actually live, shop and pay," Peter Galvin, chief growth officer at NMI, said in the release.