American shoppers are giving retailers a reason to rethink how they attract customers: The payment methods a store accepts increasingly help determine whether they’ll shop there in the first place. That gives merchants a practical opening to compete before checkout begins. Accepting a customer’s preferred way to pay can work like a welcome sign, making it easier for that shopper to choose the store.
That’s a central finding of “Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Playbook — The New American Shopper,” a PYMNTS Intelligence report produced in collaboration with Visa Acceptance Solutions. Drawing on surveys fielded in March 2026, the report examines how Americans research products, choose merchants and complete purchases. Its third key finding highlights the growing influence of payment acceptance, alongside demand for tools that help shoppers get better prices. The findings suggest retailers can respond to changing habits through improvements customers already understand and want.
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Key Findings:
- Payment preferences increasingly guide store selection. Sixty-five percent of shoppers say the ability to use their preferred payment method influences their choice of merchant at least somewhat, up from 58% in January 2023. That’s a gain of 7 percentage points. The report also finds that payment acceptance influences merchant choice equally among lower-income and higher-income shoppers, at 65% for each group. For retailers, the appeal extends across income levels rather than resting with one customer segment.
- Price matching offers a clear opportunity. Sixty percent of shoppers want price matching, but 47% of merchants offer it, leaving a gap of 13 percentage points. It’s the largest shortfall identified in the report. Mobile product locators, digital coupons and free shipping also fall short of consumer demand. These findings give merchants a concrete starting point for improving the shopping experience: Help customers find products and prices with less effort.
- Most payments go smoothly, with room to improve reliability. Seventy-eight percent of shoppers had no payment issues during their most recent purchase, compared with 80% in 2024. Meanwhile, disputes and mistakes rose to 10% from 7%. Broader payment acceptance could help attract customers, while dependable processing could help merchants deliver on that initial appeal. The data suggests both deserve attention.
Other findings show how quickly shopping habits are evolving. Phone use inside physical stores reached 42%, up from 30% in January 2024. Looking ahead, 62% of shoppers expect to use an AI shopping agent within two years, while only 15% of merchants have data those agents can read. Retailers have an opportunity to prepare for that shift while improving the payment choices and shopping tools customers want today.
At PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you’ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.
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