For merchants looking overseas for growth, the fastest route may run straight through the checkout page.
That is the central finding of “Payments Optimization: Powering Global eCommerce Growth,” a PYMNTS Intelligence report done with Worldpay. The report argues that cross-border demand is there, but too many merchants still make it harder than it needs to be for customers to finish a purchase. Consumers want payment choice, local relevance and a checkout process that feels simple.
Merchants that deliver that experience stand to capture more international sales as global eCommerce expands. In that sense, payments work a lot like a good airport terminal. When the path is clear, people keep moving. When it gets clogged, they head elsewhere.
The report shows that convenience has become a basic expectation in global commerce, not a bonus feature. Shoppers want to pay the way they already know and trust, and they are quick to abandon a purchase when the experience feels clunky or uncertain. At the same time, digital payments are becoming the default around the world, giving merchants more tools to tailor checkout for local shoppers. That creates a hopeful picture for merchants. The obstacles are real, but so is the opportunity to fix them.
Key Points
- 99% of consumers who have shopped cross-border say they want to pay with their preferred payment methods, showing how closely payment choice is tied to conversion.
- 72% of merchants report higher rates of failed payments in cross-border transactions than in domestic ones, a sign that international checkout still brings added friction.
- 84% of shoppers consider one-click checkout an important factor in deciding where to shop, underscoring how much value consumers place on speed and ease.
Other findings reinforce the same message. The report says 57% of shoppers rank convenience among their top two priorities when choosing where to buy. It also finds that 49% of cross-border shoppers expect to pay in their local currencies. Looking ahead, the digital shift is only accelerating. PYMNTS Intelligence projects that 79% of global eCommerce value will be conducted via digital payments by 2030.
The report also points to steps merchants can take right now, including broadening digital payment acceptance, offering local currency options, using one-click checkout and deploying tools such as automatic payment retries and payment recovery software. For merchants willing to make those upgrades, payments optimization looks less like a technical exercise and more like a practical way to unlock new growth.
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.
