Providing popular online payment methods at checkout can have dramatic effects on conversion. Letting people pay with the method they use the most paves to effortless online payments experiences.
One of the challenges of choosing what online payment methods to offer is that they are different around the world. On top of local variations, new payment methods are constantly emerging.
Take credit cards, a major payment method in the US. Cards are still the most-used payment method, with American Express, Mastercard, Visa as large global card schemes. Even though they’re recognized globally, other payment methods like online banking, direct debit, digital wallets, or Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) are more common elsewhere.
Popular online payment methods per region
Curious to discover all the online payment methods we offer? Check out our payment method explorer.
Now, without further ado: here are the 20 most popular online payment methods around the world.
Asia-Pacific (APAC)
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.
Europe
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.
Latin America (LATAM)
LATAM is a key global growth region where many countries are transitioning from cash-based to electronic payments. Brazil leads as the largest e-commerce market, constituting over 30% of online sales in Latin America, with Mexico as the second-largest market.
PIX
PIX is a bank transfer payment method in Brazil. It’s owned by Brazil's Central Bank and linked to over 800 financial institutions. It has a large customer base of 140 million users.
Elo
Elo is a major debit and credit card brand in Brazil that supports credit, debit, and prepaid transactions. It’s the third largest local scheme, following Visa and Mastercard.
Boleto
Boleto Bancário, commonly known as Boleto, is a popular Brazilian cash-based payment method with 15% market share. It is also the only payment method available for the 17% of Brazilian shoppers who don't have a bank account.
Oxxo
OXXO is a voucher-based payment method and the largest alternative payment method in Mexico. Because many people in Mexico don't have a bank account or credit card, this is a popular online payment method.
Middle East
The Middle East is card-dominant, with the main players being Mastercard and Visa.
BENEFIT
BENEFIT is the dominant debit network in Bahrain. All cards are cobranded with international schemes.
KNET
Kuwait is home to the debit network KNET. Like Benefit, KNET cards are co-branded with international schemes.
North America
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.
Choosing the right online payment methods
For global online businesses, it can be a challenge to offer relevant local payment methods in all markets. More factors than geography can help you choose which online payment methods are right for your business. Does your target demographic use this payment method? What are the costs involved? Do you need to support recurring payments or refunds?
Asking these questions is worth it. Offering the right local payment methods can unlock new revenue, create effortless experiences, and solidify your market position.
You can tailor local checkout experiences to local needs with our global financial infrastructure. We support the most popular payment methods in all markets we offer our services.
Want to learn more about local payment methods? Check out the Payment Method Explorer.
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