Payments

More than half of consumers leave a retailer over poor payment experience

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June 17, 2026

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More than half of consumers, 55%, walk away from a business, or consider not shopping at a local business again, when the payment experience proves to be arduous.

That's a top finding from a Flute research report that polled 1,000 consumers and over 200 business owners regarding payment friction, according to a press release.

The report, "The Visibility Problem: What It Costs When Payments Won't Get Out of the Way," reveals payments are quietly costing merchants on three fronts: customers who walk away, capital they can't access and time they don't have.

Additional findings include:

Customers: 44% of consumers say a faster, smoother checkout would make them spend more at a local business. 93% say upfront pricing matters, and 61% weigh flexible payment options when deciding where to shop. The time of payment determines whether they come back. However, 38% of small business owners say their setup has probably or definitely cost them a sale.
Payments are eating hours owners don't have. 52% spend at least an hour every week reconciling statements and chasing disputes. More than a third run two or more systems, toggling between platforms to get a complete picture of their own business. 36% have postponed payroll, inventory or rent waiting for funds to arrive. The fix owners want most is speed: 37% say instant or same-day funding would make their business more profitable or efficient, ahead of every other capability tested.

"The wrong payments provider can quietly hold a business back," Derek Dean, CEO of Flute, said in the release. "The real cost isn't always visible, but it affects every decision owners make. Growing businesses are silently paying the cost of being ignored. What they need are tools that give them control, speed and clarity so they can focus on serving customers and building momentum. That's what Flute is here to provide."