Mobile-First Consumers Drive Biometric Payment Surge in UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is solidifying its position as a global leader in digital shopping, with more consumers relying on mobile devices for their retail transactions.

Biometrics are gaining widespread acceptance as a way to make sure that transactions are seamless and secure.

This mobile-first mindset, detailed in the 2025 “Global Digital Shopping Index: UAE Edition” commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions and produced by PYMNTS Intelligence, highlights a shift in consumer behavior that financial services providers and merchants cannot afford to overlook.

Mobile Shopping Across Channels

The report, based on a survey of 1,679 consumers and 329 merchants in the UAE, reveals that 67% of UAE shoppers used their phone for their latest retail purchase, irrespective of the channel. This marks a 23% increase since 2022 and places the UAE at the vanguard of mobile-first shopping among the eight countries surveyed, including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the U.S., and the U.K.

This trend is not confined to younger demographics; while millennials lead at 73%, even consumers with children show high mobile shopping engagement, indicating a universal embrace of the mobile-first approach.

UAE consumers are not just adopting mobile shopping; they are driving the global adoption of advanced authentication methods, particularly biometrics. The report reveals that an impressive 32% of UAE shoppers used biometric authentication — such as fingerprint or facial recognition technology — to complete their latest online transaction. This figure is nearly double the global average rate of 18.5% and represents the second-highest level observed across all surveyed countries.

This high rate of adoption underscores a strong consumer preference for convenient yet secure methods of verifying purchases. For financial institutions and payment processors, this signals a clear imperative: supporting and enhancing biometric payment solutions is no longer a niche offering but a mainstream expectation among UAE consumers.

Security Is Critical

The high usage of biometrics in the UAE is linked to consumers’ strong focus on security when authenticating transactions. UAE shoppers are much more likely than the global average to employ multiple forms of verification for their online purchases, with biometrics standing out.

Beyond biometrics, they also frequently use methods like card verification numbers (CVN), codes texted or emailed by merchants or card providers, and personal identification numbers (PIN) at rates higher than the global average. This indicates that UAE consumers value peace of mind alongside convenience.

Merchants in the UAE have expressed worries about keeping pace with payment technologies, protecting sensitive data against evolving threats, and preventing fraudulent activities if their payment systems are not upgraded. This convergence of consumer demand for secure, advanced authentication and merchant concerns highlights an opportunity for financial services to provide cutting-edge, secure payment infrastructure.

The integration of biometric authentication is a critical component of the seamless payment and checkout experiences that UAE shoppers overwhelmingly desire. Nearly 8 out of 10 (77%) UAE shoppers said the payment methods a merchant accepts influence where they choose to shop, the highest rate among all countries surveyed.

Ultimately, financial service providers that enable and promote these features will be better positioned to support merchants in delivering the unified shopping experiences — where digital features like rewards programs and stored payment methods are accessible across channels — that discerning UAE consumers expect.