News

Study: Mobile payments reach tipping point in some countries

September 6, 2017

Mobile wallet adoption is on the rise globally, and the U.S. and Europe are catching up with fast-growing economies in Asia and Latin America where mobile wallets have already become the dominant payment platform, according to new benchmark data from ACI Worldwide and Aite.

The research shows that 17 percent of U.S. consumers now regularly use their smartphone to pay, up from 6 percent in 2014 when the survey was last conducted. In Europe, Spanish consumers are the most active users of mobile wallets, with 25 percent using them regularly, followed by Italy (24 percent), Sweden (23 percent) and the U.K. (14 percent).

"Mobile wallets really started to grow in popularity after the launch of Apple Pay almost three years ago," Mark Ranta, head of digital banking solutions for ACI Worldwide, said in a press release about the study. "What we are seeing is a tipping point regarding adoption, which can be attributed to consumers worldwide now almost exclusively using payment-enabled devices, as older models have cycled out, with a few exceptions."

Key findings from the study include:

• Mobile wallet adoption: India tops the list of countries surveyed, with 56 percent of consumers saying they pay with a smartphone regularly. Thailand and Indonesia follow at 51 percent and 47 percent, respectively.

According to the research, these markets are leap-frogging traditional card infrastructures, as most consumers' internet connections are through a mobile device rather than a desktop or laptop.

• Mobile wallet security:Consumer confidence in mobile wallet security remains high. In France, 40 percent of respondents said they trust their bank to protect their personal information when paying via smartphone, followed by the U.K. at 37 percent, and Holland at 28 percent.
• Mobile wallet fraud: The report warns that as more consumers adopt mobile wallets, they may also become a bigger target for criminals. Compared with previous years, confidence rates regarding mobile wallet security have dropped in some countries, a sentiment that may be influenced by increasing reports of new mobile wallet fraud and scams.

ACI Worldwide conducted the online quantitative market research in April 2016, polling 6,035 consumers in 20 countries.