66% Cross-Border Shift to Digital Payments Raises Pressure on Global Merchants

Merchants chasing global growth are learning that cross-border sales succeed only when payments feel as local as possible. That is the new message emerging from the latest Payments Optimization Tracker, which shows that consumer expectations have shifted faster than many retailers’ payment strategies.

The report, Going Global: How Payments Optimization Can Power an International Commerce Strategy, examines how the surge in global eCommerce is reshaping the mechanics of checkout, choice of payment method and customer trust. It cites projections from the Worldpay Global Payments Report that put global eCommerce on a path to surpass ten trillion dollars in value by 2030, with digital payments accounting for nearly eight in ten online transactions.

The report also found that many merchants still fall short in delivering the speed, transparency and convenience that international shoppers expect. These gaps slow conversions. They also create an entry point for competitors with stronger payment localization strategies.

Three findings highlight the scale of the disconnect between consumer demand and current merchant readiness:

Sixty-six percent of global eCommerce value was conducted via digital payments in 2024, yet 72% of merchants reported higher payment failure rates for cross-border transactions than domestic ones. This failure rate can push shoppers to abandon purchases after only a few attempts.

Ninety-nine percent of cross-border shoppers want to pay with their preferred local payment method, and 94% expect to pay in their own currency. The report shows that merchants who do not offer these options risk losing more than half of potential buyers.

Digital wallets have become the dominant method of online payment, expanding from 34% of global eCommerce value in 2014 to 66% in 2024. Wallet-funded transactions now exceed $15 trillion, according to data cited from the Worldpay 2025 Global Payments Report.

The report argued that cross-border optimization is becoming a strategic requirement rather than a technical feature. It begins with convenience. Fifty-one percent of shoppers place ease of checkout among their top reasons for choosing where to shop, and one-click checkout alone is important to 84% of customers. A short, simple path to payment helps keep customers on site. It also boosts authorization rates.

Worldpay and Visa’s new Click to Pay solution in the United Kingdom is highlighted as one improvement that can reduce the friction created by manual data entry. Adoption of automated retry tools and payment recovery software is another. High-focus cross-border merchants are already using these tools at materially higher rates than their peers.

The study also underscores the speed at which local preferences now shape global commerce. Local card schemes dominate in several European markets. Real-time account-to-account payment systems such as India’s UPI, Brazil’s Pix and Poland’s BLIK continue to expand. These systems are projected to reach nearly four trillion dollars in value by 2030. Their growth shows how rapidly customer trust can shift toward payment options that reduce fees and increase transparency. Speed is important. Trust is essential.

Other findings in the report point to the long-term impact of optimization. Merchants that localize payment methods, remove hidden fees and invest in advanced fraud tools can reduce cart abandonment and accelerate market entry. They also position themselves to capture the next wave of global demand.

Payments are no longer a backstage function. Payments shape the entire customer journey. This insight will determine who gains share as global eCommerce grows.