Cover for the November 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence and Paysafe report, The Experience Economy. PYMNTS Intelligence examines how consumers spend on experiences, why purchases fall through and what merchants can do to keep sales.

US Fans Walk Away From $110 Billion in Experience Purchases a Year

The Experience Economy

Fans will make room in a tight budget for a concert or a weekend away. But a surprise fee at checkout can change their plans. PYMNTS Intelligence and Paysafe surveyed 2,146 U.S. consumers to find out what keeps fans spending and what makes them walk away.

Inside the November Study

  • Fans spend an estimated $730 billion a year on their favorite activities. Even if their household income fell by 25% for six months, 81% of fans say they’d keep spending on those activities.
  • Unfinished purchases totaled an estimated $110 billion in the past year. Nearly one in three fans started a purchase they didn’t finish. Surprise fees were the most common reason they gave for walking away.
  • One lost sale can put future sales at risk. Nearly two-thirds of fans who walked away say they’d give that seller a lower priority next time or stop shopping there altogether.

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