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Report
en_GB
The UK's transition towards a cashless economy continues, with consumers embracing digital and mobile-first payments in their everyday lives. Debit cards dominate spending, supported by the near-universal contactless acceptance, while…
UK
Banking and Payments
simple
UK Consumer Payment Preferences: 2026
"In an era of digital payments, consumers are placing greater weight on the checkout experience, rewarding payment methods that feel fast, secure and frictionless."
Katie Owens-Davies, Financial Services Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for consumer payment preferences
Opportunities
Protect revenue by expanding payment options
Unlock Baby Boomer spending power through digital security
Plan for the future of UK payments, not the present
THE MARKET
Spending habits adapt as inflation persists
Graph 1: CPI and average wage rises, 2022-26
Financial uncertainty weighs on payment choice
Cash drops to the bottom of the payments mix
Graph 2: payment volumes, by payment type, 2016-24
Supply-side issues contribute to declining cash use
Late adopters key to growth in contactless payments
Graph 3: contactless payments, 2016-24
Regulatory and legislative factors
THE CONSUMER
The evolving payments landscape
Debit cards anchor consumers’ weekly spending
Build checkout experience around tap-to-pay acceptance
Position credit as a tool, not a trap
Expand payment choice to meet Gen Z expectations
Secure online revenue by meeting PayPal demand
Mobile wallets are the fastest-growing payment method
Graph 4: changes in payment method usage, 2026
Drive checkout confidence with established BNPL providers
Mobile wallets and the future of payments
Mobile wallet acceptance is a non-negotiable
Payments have crossed the digital tipping point
Optimise payment processes for mobile wallets
Biometric protections alleviate security concerns
Market mobile wallets as safer, not just faster
The rise of the cashless economy
Cash is rapidly losing ground
Support the cashless transition with budgeting tools
Design for digital payments as cash reliance fades
Cashless venues are no longer a conversion risk
Leverage trusted reassurance to support digital acceptance
Payment preferences and ecommerce conversion
Let familiarity do the work at checkout
Graph 5: important factors when selecting payment method, 2026
Balancing consumer wants with consumer needs
Digital commerce raises consumer expectations
Design checkout for choice to support conversion
INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Payment innovation expands consumer choice without disrupting retailers
Will Ferrell plays the angel and devil of payment choices
PayPal and Canva take the hassle out of getting paid
New payments era emerges with agentic commerce
UK retailers cut out the middle man
SumUp levels rewards playing field
APPENDIX
Report scope
National payments vision
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
UK generation groups
Abbreviations
The UK’s transition towards a cashless economy continues, with consumers embracing digital and mobile-first payments in their everyday lives. Debit cards dominate spending, supported by the near-universal contactless acceptance, while reliance on cash steadily declines. Mobile wallet usage is accelerating, with 38% using them more than last year, highlighting growing demand for faster and more convenient ways to pay.
While digital payments are now second nature for many, concerns around trust and security have not disappeared. 62% of UK consumers worry more about security when paying online than in-store, reflecting ongoing anxiety around fraud, scams and the protection of personal data. This tension is particularly evident with mobile wallets. While active users are increasingly reliant, there is a large segment of sceptical non-users. For payment providers, the challenge is no longer about simply making payments faster, but convincing consumers they are genuinely safe.
At the same time, the checkout experience itself has become a critical driver of basket conversion. As digital payments become routine, consumers expect transactions to be seamless and friction-free, especially contactless users accustomed to instant tap-and-go payments. Speed and convenience are no longer checkout differentiators, but baseline expectations.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
The changing landscape of UK payments and the impact of economic conditions and regulations on consumer payment behaviours
The rates of adoption, trust and usage for both established and new payment methods, including demographic analysis
The rise of mobile wallet payments, examining the key factors driving and limiting their growth
The ongoing decline of cash usage in the UK and consumer attitudes towards cashless payments and venues
The factors influencing payment choices in online retail and how payment options affect conversion and cart abandonment rates
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