Digital Consumer Payment Trends in the U.S.

Digital Consumer Payment Trends in the U.S. assesses trends shaping consumer digital payments, with a focus on emerging but quickly growing digital payment trends and innovations, digitally driven market drivers, and COVID-19 digital payment ramifications.

This report includes a second Packaged Facts report Consumer Payment Card Usage Trends in the U.S., which provides a compact overview of continuity and changes in U.S. adult use of the following types of consumer payment cards: Debit cards, Credit cards, Gift cards, and Prepaid cards


  • Executive Summary
    • Report Scope
    • Report Summary
    • Consumer Digital Payment Drivers
      • e-Commerce Growth Drives Electronic Payments
      • COVID-19 Pandemic Pushes Digital Commerce Into Overdrive
      • Electronic Payments Share Continues to Rise
      • Digital Banking and Payment Access Predominates
      • It's a Mobile World
      • Fintech Innovation Drives Digital Payments Transformation
    • Words to Live by: Faster, Easier, Invisible, Engaged
      • The Faster Payments Opportunity
      • Payments Fade Into the Background
      • Contactless Card Renaissance
    • The COVID-19 Effect
      • Payment Method and Payment Method Safety Shifts
      • Spending and Banking Behavior Shifts
      • Shifts in Consumer Credit Use and Future Payment Choices
  • Digital Payments Drivers
    • e-Commerce Growth Drives Electronic Payments
      • E-Commerce Continues to Grow Retail Sales Share
      • Internet-Only and Omni-Channel E-Commerce Sales Trends Both Strong
        • Table E-Commerce Sales: In-Store, Direct, Internet-Only, and Omni-Channel, 2015-2019 (billion dollars)
      • COVID-19 Pandemic Pushes Digital Commerce into Overdrive
        • Table Estimated Quarterly U.S. Retail Sales: Total and E-commerce, Q3 2018-Q2 2020 (billion dollars)
      • Online Purchasing Translates to Electronic Payments
    • Electronic Payments Share Continues to Rise
      • Consumer Payment Card Usage Volume Outpaces Cash, Checks, and Money Orders
      • Debit Surpasses Cash
      • Cash Loses Ground
      • ACH over Check
        • Table Number of Monthly Consumer Payments by Type of Payment Instrument, 2015-2019
        • Table Share of Consumer Payments Made, by Type of Payment Instrument, 2015-2019
      • ACH-Based Consumer Payment Methods Generate the Most Payment Value
        • Table Dollar Value of Consumer Payments by Type of Payment Instrument, 2015-2019
        • Table Dollar Value Share of Consumer Payments by Type of Payment Instrument, 2015-2019
    • Digital Banking and Payment Access Predominates
      • Table Consumer Ownership of Accounts and Adoption of Account Access Technologies, 2015-2019
      • Online Inroads
    • It's a Mobile World
      • Mobile Phones and Connected Devices
      • Mobile Banking a Mainstream Phenomenon
      • Yet Consumer Adoption of Mobile Payment Services Remains Low
      • In-Dash Payments: The Mobile Payment Frontier
    • Fintech Innovation Drives Digital Payments Transformation
      • Open Banking
      • Neobanks
      • Point-of-Sale Installment Loans
  • Words to Live by: Faster, Easier, Invisible, Engaged
    • The Faster Payments Opportunity
      • What It Is
      • How It Works
      • What It Can Provide
      • Who Provides the Solutions
      • Mobile Banking as Catalyst?
    • Payments Fade into the Background
      • What It Is
      • Why It's Important
      • Showing How It's Done: Feature-Laden Retailer App Engagement
      • In Focus: Kohl's
      • In Focus: American Eagle
      • More than Mobile P2P: Square's Feature-Based Engagement
      • Seamless Digital Checkout Experience
        • Table Smartphone Payment Methods Used, 2020
      • A Possible Solution: "Click to Pay" Secure Remote Commerce
      • Seamless Rewards
    • Contactless Card Renaissance
  • The COVID-19 Effect
    • Payment Method Shifts
      • Payment Methods: The Less Physical Contact, the More Likely to Use
        • Table Effect of COVID-19 on Digital and Non-Digital Payment Methods Used, Ranked More/Less Ratio, 2020
      • Payment Method Safety: Pre-Payment Wins; Giving Card to Person Loses
        • Table Effect of COVID-19 on Physical Point-of-Sale Payment Methods Used, Ranked by Safe/Unsafe Ratio, 2020
    • Spending and Banking Behavior Shifts
      • Banks Deliver in the Clutch; Digital Preferences Catch Fire
        • Table Effect of COVID-19 on Spending and Banking Behavior, Ranked by Agree/Disagree Ratio, 2020
    • Shifts in Consumer Credit Use and Future Payment Choices
      • Shifts in Types of Consumer Credit Used: Credit Cards Reign
        • Table Effect of COVID-19 on Types of Consumer Credit Used, Ranked by More/Less Ratio, 2020
      • Credit Cards and Debit Cards More Likely To Be Used For Duration Of Crisis
        • Table Effect of COVID-19 on Future Consumer Credit and Non-Credit Payment Instrument Use, Ranked by More/Less Ratio, 2020
  • Appendix
    • Methodology
      • Consumer Survey Methodology
      • Abbreviations
        • Table Table Appendix-1: Report Abbreviations, 2020
      • Terms and Definitions
  • Introduction
    • Introduction: The Great Recession & Payment Cards
  • PAYMENT TRENDS & PSYCHOGRAPHICS
    • OVERVIEW OF PAYMENT TRENDS
      • Table Overall Adult Use of Payment Methods: By Type, 2009-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • FINANCIAL PSYCHOGRAPHICS
      • Table Selected Consumer Attitudes About Personal Finance, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent of adults)
    • PAYMENT TYPES AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
      • Table Use of Payment Method by Type: By Level of Consumer Confidence, 2019 (percent)
    • PAYMENT TYPES AND PURCHASE PROPENSITY
      • Table Use of Payment Method by Type: By Level of Purchase Propensity, 2019 (percent)
    • PAYMENT TYPES AND FINANCIAL SITUATION
      • Table Use of Payment Method by Type: By Whether Worse/Better Off Financially Compared With 12 Months Ago, 2019 (percent)
  • DEBIT CARDS
    • THE CASE FOR DEBIT CARDS
    • USE OF DEBIT CARDS
      • Table Overall Debit/ATM Card Usage Rates: By Brand, 2009-2019 (percent among adults overall and percentage point change)
      • Table Debit/ATM Card Use in Last 30 Days: by Type and Brand, 2009-2019 (percent among debit cardholders and percentage point change)
    • USE OF DEBIT/ATM CARDS FOR CASH
      • Table Debit/ATM Card Usage Patterns: Ownership and Frequency of Use for Cash, by Brand, 2019 (percent of adults)
      • Table Debit/ATM Card Usage Patterns: Ownership and Frequency of Use for Cash, by Brand, 2019 (percent of debit cardholders)
    • USE OF DEBIT/ATM CARDS BY GENDER
      • Table Overall Debit Card Usage Rates: By Gender, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • USE OF DEBIT/ATM CARDS BY AGE BRACKET
      • Table Overall Debit Card Usage Rates: By Age Bracket, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • USE OF DEBIT/ATM CARDS BY INCOME BRACKET
      • Table Overall Debit Card Usage Rates: By Income Bracket, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • USE OF DEBIT/ATM CARDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
      • Table Overall Debit Card Usage Rates: By Race/Ethnicity, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
  • CREDIT CARDS
    • THE CASE FOR (AND AGAINST) CREDIT CARDS
    • USAGE RATES FOR CREDIT CARDS
      • Table Overall Credit Card Usage Rates: by Brand and Type, 2009-2019 (percent among adults overall and percentage point change)
    • MONTHLY USE OF CREDIT CARDS
      • Table Credit Card Use in Last 30 Days: by Type and Brand, 2009-2019 (percent among credit cardholders and percentage point change)
      • Table Frequency of General-Purpose Credit Card Use: By Brand, 2019 (percent of adults overall)
    • MONTHLY USE OF STORE CARDS
      • Table Frequency of Credit Card Use: Store Credit Card by Other Type, 2019 (percent)
    • ACTIVE CUSTOMER BASE FOR GENERAL-PURPOSE CREDIT CARDS
      • Table Active General-Purpose Credit Card Users (percent of adults, millions of adults, and percentage point change)
    • MONTHLY USE OF GENERALPURPOSE CREDIT CARDS BY GENDER
      • Table General-Purpose Card Use in Last 30 Days: By Gender, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • MONTHLY USE OF GENERALPURPOSE CREDIT CARDS BY AGE BRACKET
      • Table General-Purpose Card Use in Last 30 Days: By Age Bracket, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • MONTHLY USE OF GENERALPURPOSE CREDIT CARDS BY INCOME BRACKET
      • Table General-Purpose Card Use in Last 30 Days: By Income Bracket, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • MONTHLY USE OF GENERALPURPOSE CREDIT CARDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
      • Table General-Purpose Card Use in Last 30 Days: By Race/Ethnicity, 2009 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
  • GIFT AND OTHER PREPAID CARDS
    • THE CASE FOR GIFT OR OTHER PREPAID CARDS
    • GIFT CARD PURCHASING RATES
      • Table Purchasing Rates for Gift Cards, 2011-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • TOP TYPES OF GIFT CARDS
      • Table Gift Card Purchasing Rates: Types Bought in Last 12 Months, 2011-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF GIFT CARDS BY GENDER
      • Table Gift Card Purchasing in Last 12 Months: By Gender, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF GIFT CARDS BY AGE BRACKET
      • Table Gift Card Purchasing in Last 12 Months: By Age Bracket, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF GIFT CARDS BY INCOME BRACKET
      • Table Gift Card Purchasing in Last 12 Months: By Income Bracket, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF GIFT CARDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
      • Table Gift Card Purchasing in Last 12 Months: By Race/Ethnicity, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • GIFT CARD DENOMINATION TRENDS
      • Table Amount Spent on Gift Cards by Type in Last 12 Months, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent)
    • PURCHASING RATES FOR PREPAID CARDS
      • Table Used Prepaid Cards (Not Gift Cards) in Past 12 Months, 2011-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
      • Table Use Prepaid Cards (Not Gift Cards), By Type: Reloadable vs. Non-Reloadable, 2013-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PREPAID CARDS BY BRAND
      • Table Prepaid Cards (Not Gift Cards) Used, By Brand, 2011-2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF PREPAID CARDS BY GENDER
      • Table Prepaid Card (Not Gift Card) Use in Last 12 Months: By Gender, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF PREPAID CARDS BY AGE BRACKET
      • Table Prepaid Card (Not Gift Card) Use in Last 12 Months: By Age Bracket, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF PREPAID CARDS BY INCOME BRACKET
      • Table Prepaid Card (Not Gift Card) Use in Last 12 Months: By Income Bracket, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)
    • PURCHASING OF PREPAID CARDS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
      • Table Prepaid Card (Not Gift Card) Use in Last 12 Months: By Race/Ethnicity, 2011 vs. 2019 (percent and percentage point change)

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