Breadcrumb

E-commerce Payment Trends in 2022

Written by

The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedMar 20222 min read

Ecommerce continues to accelerate at pace, with the recent pandemic vastly increasing the number of people shopping online. This rapid growth has led online merchants to add a variety of electronic payment options to their portfolios – options which are becoming more secure and increasingly frictionless.

Contactless payments and digital wallets - for example, Apple Pay - are becoming more popular, while many customers are starting to prefer interest-free “buy now pay later” methods. There’s also been a rise in social e-commerce, and cryptocurrencies are now becoming more mainstream, meaning that consumers are using a wider variety of ways to pay.

Whichever form of online payment they choose, consumers want a smooth and seamless experience at checkout.

To stay competitive, you’ll need to keep up with the latest changes and innovations in the ecommerce payment space. In this post we’ll look at e-commerce payments trends you should look out for over the coming year.

5 Ecommerce payments trends to look out for

Mobile commerce: It’s only going to get bigger

Mobile commerce refers to the transactions consumers make through their mobile devices via an internet connection. To capitalise on this e-commerce payment trend, make sure you’re using a mobile-responsive design so that consumers get a great, optimised, experience when they’re shopping online with you. In particular, pay attention to your loading times, to decrease the chances of people clicking away without buying.

Buy now pay later (BNPL)

A recent GoCardless report revealed that buy now, pay later is becoming more and more the norm, with 42% of shoppers planning to use it during the last festive period, many of them millennials. This model of payment allows customers to make immediate purchases and spread out the cost of their payments, interest-free. With increasingly better integrations into bank accounts and digital wallets, BNPL looks set to become even more popular, as a way to finance purchases over the short term. Uptake of this method of payment is especially high for purchasing clothing.

Contactless payments and digital wallets

Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are becoming a preferred method of payment for many shoppers. This intuitive form of payment saves time and reduces the effort required to make a purchase. Easy frictionless payments benefit ecommerce brands too, and help to reduce churn, while offering e-retailers the opportunity to collect valuable data on customer spend.

More platforms are likely to introduce direct links from consumers’ digital wallets to their bank accounts. This will streamline both peer-to-peer payments as well as digital purchases.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dogecoin are gaining traction as a form of payment. The blockchain technology that powers these digital assets is also becoming widely recognised as delivering value at scale. Brands like Tesla, Xbox and PayPal have championed the uptake of cryptocurrency, and other companies look set to follow their lead in 2022. Crypto assets like bitcoin offer numerous benefits, including low transaction fees, quick processing, and ease of making international payments.

Voice activated payments

Smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Nest allow customers to shop using words – no clicks required. Voice shopping offers ecommerce retailers an exciting opportunity to answer questions about pricing, highlight product benefits and create a tailored, frictionless shopping experience.

Ecommerce payments trends: Technology that benefits sellers and shoppers alike

From Apply Pay to cryptocurrency, our roundup of ecommerce payment trends offers you a glimpse into the future of online shopping. New technology will benefit both consumers and ecommerce brands alike, with options that are efficient, secure, and effortless.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.