The State of Payment Methods 2024

Post-Pandemic Trends Are Becoming Clear

Report by Tyler Van Dyke  | UPDATED: May 3, 2024

The Payments Ecosystem 2024

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The Key Trends Changing How Providers Compete for Customers and Transactions

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Executive Summary
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumer payment habits are settling after a period of uncertainty
Credit cards top the charts but could have a challenging year
Debit cards build financial relationships for incumbents and challengers alike
Prepaid cards and gift cards take divergent paths
BNPL is making strides but struggling to grab a meaningful share of US retail sales
EFTs have an uphill battle to break into retail payments
Crypto payments aren’t mainstreaming anytime soon
Cash is stickier than checks
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
In the second of five reports in our “Payments Ecosystem 2024” collection, we look at what’s influencing how consumers are paying today—and what payment providers can do to capture a larger piece of the retail spending pie.
Topics
Payments
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumer payment habits are settling after a period of uncertainty
Credit cards top the charts but could have a challenging year
Debit cards build financial relationships for incumbents and challengers alike
Prepaid cards and gift cards take divergent paths
BNPL is making strides but struggling to grab a meaningful share of US retail sales
EFTs have an uphill battle to break into retail payments
Crypto payments aren’t mainstreaming anytime soon
Cash is stickier than checks
Sources
Media Gallery

After years of pandemic-era distortions, clear trends in consumer payment habits are arising. We look at eight of the most common payment methods US consumers use and the headwinds and tailwinds affecting each.

Key Question: What do payments providers and retailers need to know about shifting payment method trends?

Key Stat: Total credit card spend will exceed $3.8 trillion by 2025—cementing its position as the most popular US retail payment method.

Here’s what’s in the full report

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Consumer payment habits are settling after a period of uncertainty
  3. Credit cards top the charts but could have a challenging year
  4. Debit cards build financial relationships for incumbents and challengers alike
  1. Prepaid cards and gift cards take divergent paths
  2. BNPL is making strides but struggling to grab a meaningful share of US retail sales
  3. EFTs have an uphill battle to break into retail payments
  4. Crypto payments aren’t mainstreaming anytime soon
  1. Cash is stickier than checks
  2. Sources
  3. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

How Interested Are US Adults in Using Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Services* at Checkout? (% of respondents, by demographic, Dec 2023)Share of Payment Made in Cash Among US Adults, by Age, 2019 & 2022 (% of respondents)

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First Published on Mar 25, 2024

authors

Tyler Van Dyke

Contributors

Suzy Davidkhanian
Principal Analyst, Retail & Ecommerce
David Morris
Principal Analyst
Amy Rotondo
Director, US Research