The UK is a digital payments leader, though traditional payments provide a backbone. Payment method preferences among different demographic groups are determining the winners and losers.
UK consumers have pivoted quickly from cash to become the digital payment leaders of the Western world, with outsized usage among certain demographic groups driving the change. Identifying usage patterns among these groups will help marketers effectively tap each audience.
Scroll on to learn:
The size of the UK’s consumer payments opportunity
The major established and emerging brands fighting for share
Key payment methods—from crypto to credit cards—and their growth trajectory
Demographic trends that are driving business upheaval
Key Question:How are payment method preferences among different demographic groups influencing the shift to digital payments in the UK?
KEY STAT: Younger consumers are driving explosive buy now, pay later (BNPL) growth—part of a broader digital wave that is reshaping how UK consumers pay.
Here’s what’s in the full report
2files
Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.
4charts
Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
UK consumers set the digital payments pace for the Western world.
UK consumer demographics inform digital payment growth trends.
The UK payments opportunity is rich—and the battlefield is crowded.
Among emerging UK payment methods, contactless is the most mature.
But mobile wallets are catching on with younger consumers.
BNPL payment value share will double as older consumers play a larger role.
Crypto payments are hamstrung by market deterioration.
In the realm of traditional UK retail payment methods, debit cards dominate.
Credit card growth is driven by rising adoption and higher-income users.
Cash remains critical to financial inclusion.
What should marketers in the UK payments industry do next?
Gain access to reliable data presented in clear and intelligible displays for quick understanding and decision making on the most important topics related to your industry, included at no extra cost.
The UK is a digital payments leader, though traditional payments provide a backbone. Payment method preferences among different demographic groups are determining the winners and losers.