Top online payment methods across the world

Curious to discover all the online payment methods we offer? Check out our payment method explorer. 

Now, without further ado: here are the top popular online payment methods around the world.

Asia Pacific is home to over 4.5 billion people with seven of the world’s ten most populous countries. APAC is leading ecommerce trends and mobile payment adoption. It’s also one of the most diverse regions when it comes to online payment methods.

AliPay

• Alipay is the most popular third-party mobile payment service provider in China. Its digital wallet, Alipay Wallet, also includes a mobile app that lets customers pay directly from their mobile devices.

WeChat Pay

• WeChat Pay is the second must-have online payment method for any business looking to reach a critical mass of Chinese shoppers. It’s the digital wallet of the Chinese super app WeChat.

Afterpay (Clearpay)

• Afterpay is a buy now, pay later online payment method offering shoppers the option to pay in four interest-free installments. It’s one of the leading BNPL methods in Australia and New Zealand.

GrabPay

• GrabPay is bridging the gap for cash dependent economies that are transitioning to  a cashless society. It’s powered by Grab, one of the most recognizable lifestyle super apps in Southeast Asia boasting over 100 million users and mostly used in Singapore and Malaysia.

UnionPay

• UnionPay (also known as China UnionPay, CUP or UPI) is the world’s biggest card network with more than 7 billion cards issued. It’s a popular payment method in China, South is the world’s biggest card network with more than 7 billion cards issued.

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Europe is an extremely diverse region that’s home to a wide array of online payment methods. Some online payment methods are popular across the region, whereas others are country-specific, like Cartes Bancaires in France or iDeal in the Netherlands.

Klarna

• Since its foundation in 2005, Klarna has become one of the world's largest providers of buy now, pay later services. It’s a popular payment method across the region, notably in Belgium, Spain, and Sweden. 

Bancontact

• Bancontact  is the dominant payment method in Belgium. With 15 million cards in circulation, Bancontact cards outnumber Belgians. Bancontact is connected to 20 Belgian banks.

Blik

• BLIK is a mobile payment method that’s embedded in banking applications  in Poland. It’s covered by all major Polish banks.

Twint

• With 4 million active users, TWINT is the most popular mobile payment method in Switzerland. It’s mostly used by shoppers between 16 and 34 years old.

Trustly

• Trustly provides online banking in multiple countries, with a focus on the Nordics, UK, and the Baltics. Shoppers can pay with Trustly using their bank account details.

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Choosing the right online payment methods requires finding the balance between local preferences, transaction costs, and operational effort.Focus on what your customers actually use, rather than offering every available option.

To build the most effective checkout experience, evaluate these three factors:

• Geography and demographics: Align your online payment methods for websites with local preferences in each market you serve.

• Transaction costs: Evaluate processing fees and cross-border exchange rates associated with each option. Note: Local payment methods can often help avoid interchange fees.

• Functional requirements: Ensure your selected methods support key business needs like subscription billing or automated refunds.

Structuring your payment mix around these clear criteria ensures an optimized checkout experience that keeps operational overhead low.

To cater to the evolving payment preferences of consumers in the Middle East, businesses must offer seamless and secure payment options. Here are the key methods that should be part of any checkout experience in the region:

• Visa – As one of the most widely accepted card networks, Visa provides customers in the Middle East with a secure and familiar way to make purchases both online and in-store. Its extensive reach ensures reliability for both local and international transactions.

• Mastercard – Known for its strong presence in the region, Mastercard supports seamless digital and in-person payments, offering consumers secure transactions and businesses a trusted network to process payments efficiently.

• American Express – With a strong customer base among premium shoppers and business travelers, American Express is a preferred option for high-spending consumers in the Middle East, especially in industries like hospitality, travel, and luxury retail.

• Apple Pay – With the Middle East being a mobile-first region, Apple Pay has seen widespread adoption, particularly in markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It enables quick, contactless payments, enhancing both convenience and security for users.

• Google Pay – Another popular digital wallet, Google Pay allows Android users to make fast and secure transactions with just a tap. Its growing acceptance in the region ensures a frictionless checkout experience for mobile-first consumers.

PayPal – Trusted by international shoppers and expatriates in the Middle East, PayPal provides an extra layer of security by allowing users to complete transactions without sharing card details directly with merchants. It is especially popular for cross-border e-commerce.

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Many globally accepted payment methods are extremely popular in North America. Cards are especially popular, though alternative and bank-based payment methods, like digital wallets, BNPL’s and Pay-by-Bank, are gaining ground.

Discover

• Discover has more than 70 million cardholders in the United States. The card scheme mainly offers credit products for the non-premium cardholder segment. Discover issues the majority of cards on its network with some of the highest authorization rates among top 100 US retailers.

Apple Pay

• Apple Pay is the most popular mobile wallet in the United States. Apple Pay features tokenized card details, authentication by Touch ID or Face ID, and secure storage of payment information.

PayPal

• PayPal is a trusted and long-standing consumer wallet, with over 300 million active users in over 200 countries. It’s popular in the US for online payments, but has global relevance.

Cash App Pay

• Cash App  is one of the largest consumer wallets in the United States, with over 50 million active users. It features  seamless and secure payments experiences with high authorization rates.

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