87% of Merchants Say Checkout Still Falls Short

A collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions, the “2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition” examines how merchants are adapting to a retail environment where shopping is spreading across apps, websites, physical stores and, increasingly, AI-powered agents. The report is based on a March 2026 survey of 1,185 retail merchants in the United States, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

The findings show that merchants are moving into a new phase of digital shopping. Their mobile apps are becoming one of their most important growth channels, with more merchants reporting sales gains through apps than through any other channel measured. That strength is tied to checkout. Apps are more likely than websites to offer features such as biometrics, stored credentials, autofill and one-click checkout, which can make buying faster and easier.

Yet the report also shows that many merchants are not fully ready for what comes next. Nearly nine in 10 merchants say their checkout experiences still need improvement, and many worry their current payment technology may not meet market needs within three years. That concern is especially important as AI agents begin to change how consumers find products, compare offers, choose payment methods and complete purchases.

Merchants generally see AI agents as a digital shopping opportunity, not a threat. Many expect agents to soon influence sales, loyalty and payment choice. Still, most merchants cannot clearly identify both AI-driven traffic and purchases today. That creates a visibility gap. Without better attribution, merchants may struggle to understand where demand is coming from or how agent-driven shopping is affecting sales.

The report also finds that merchants are becoming more active in managing payment choice and risk. More than half use discounts, surcharges or both to influence which payment methods customers use. At the same time, reported fraud pressures have eased since the prior survey, but interest in stronger fraud protection remains high.

Download the Index 2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition

In the “2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition,” learn how:

Merchant-owned apps are becoming the testing ground for the next generation of checkout. Apps already offer more payment and authentication features than merchant websites.

AI agents could change the path to purchase before merchants are ready to measure it. Many merchants expect agents to influence search, loyalty, payment selection and transactions, but visibility into agent-driven sales remains limited.

Payment strategy is becoming an increasingly important part of retail economics. Merchants are using price incentives and surcharges to guide payment choice while continuing to invest in fraud protection.

About the report

The “2026 Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions collaboration, examines how merchants are adapting their shopping modes, innovation roadmap, payment stack, pricing practices and fraud posture heading into the AI agent era.

It draws on a survey of 1,185 retail merchants across three countries (the United States, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates) fielded in March 2026. Country samples are weighted and stratified so that both SMB and large merchants are represented on nationally relevant scales. SMB definitions follow standard local thresholds by country.