NEW REPORT: Who’s The Fairest X-Border Merchant Of All?

Global shoppers know no bounds. And when it comes to wooing them, particularly when it comes to American and Chinese merchants, it’s game on. The Q1 X-Border Payments Optimization Index™ reveals that U.S. merchants narrowly beat out Chinese merchants for No. 1 ranking, with a score of 67.1, up from last quarter’s 66.1. Meanwhile, Spanish merchants continued their upward trek, toppling the U.K. to take third place.

Other key takeaways from the Q1 2017 Index include:

• While Canadian merchants saw a steep decline in their score, they came out on top for offering free shipping. A whopping 78 percent of Canadian merchants offered free shopping, compared to 68 percent of merchants in the U.S.
• The U.S. emerged on top for the number of global payments brands offered. On average, U.S. merchants accepted 4.58 global payment brands. Right behind were Japanese merchants, who accepted an average of 4.11 payment methods.
• When it comes to providing an optimal shopping experience, travel companies know how to do it best. Travel merchants received an Index score of 64.4 for providing the most globally friendly shopping experience.

The Q1 2017 edition of X-Border Payments Optimization Index™ also features an interview with Pierre Rogers, co-founder of PuroTrader.com. He discusses the challenges of launching an international online marketplace in the highly regulated tobacco industry.

To download the analysis, please click below…

About the Index

This quarter, the PYMNTS X-Border Optimization Index™ tracks the journey of 189 merchants who are vying for their share of the global eCommerce windfall.

The index takes the pulse on how merchants are improving on attributes conducive to international eCommerce in countries that include Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and the United States. The verdict: The U.S. is still ahead of the rest, but not by much.