Paysafe: Holiday shoppers prioritizing experiences and flexible, secure payments

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Global research indicates festive consumption will be defined by gifting and enjoying meaningful experiences that start with a robust checkout  

Shoppers are changing holiday traditions this festive season, with a new focus on enjoying and gifting meaningful experiences, according to global consumer research issued today by Paysafe, a leading payments platform. The ‘Inside the Wallet: Holiday Edition’ report also indicates that consumers gravitate towards merchants offering a flexible range of payment options, including digital wallets, and robust transactional security.

Surveying 8,500 consumers across the U.S., Brazil, the U.K., Germany, Canada, Bulgaria, and Ecuador, Paysafe’s latest research suggests strong demand for travel during the holidays. Shoppers are just as sophisticated when it comes to their holiday purchases, with growing appetite for omnichannel retail and social media shopping, even as their support for small and local businesses remains high.

The experience economy takes center stage

• Around half of consumers (49%) prefer gifting an experience – especially food, drink, travel, concerts and live entertainment – rather than a physical item, and 50% would like to receive an experience themselves.
• Video gaming gifts go digital: 64% of respondents agree that gift cards, such as PaysafeCard, are the most convenient way to treat a gamer.
• 44% of global consumers plan to travel during the holidays, including 16% internationally, signaling a strong return to seasonal mobility and experience-driven celebrations.
• A busy sports schedule is driving interest in online sports wagering: almost a quarter (23%) of consumers plan to place a bet, with soccer the dominant sport worldwide (68%), American football leading in the U.S. (60%) and ice hockey topping Canadian preferences (53%).

Shopping habits shift

• 47% of consumers plan to shop well ahead of the season, while 20% intend to shop during the upcoming Black Friday weekend.
• Payment preferences are evolving – when asked about the payment methods they’d primarily use for festive holiday gift shopping, debit cards (46%) and credit cards (37%) are the top payment methods, but digital wallets (27%) and cash or eCash (27%) have gained traction, as well as local payment methods (LPMs, with 10%).
• Consumers are also embracing omnichannel retail experiences, with 34% splitting their purchases between online and in-store purchases, and, while online marketplaces are popular (19%), niche channels like social media are increasingly being used by younger demographics like Gen Z (11%).
• There is solid support for small businesses and independent retailers, with 69% of global consumers planning to buy from small businesses.

Security and convenience at the checkout

• Ease and assurance are non-negotiable: 49% of consumers have abandoned a cart because their preferred payment method wasn’t available and 46% have done the same due to concerns about the safety of their financial information.

“The holidays are shifting from shopping lists to memorable experiences,” said Rob Gatto, Chief Revenue Officer at Paysafe. “From gifting a dream trip to the latest game, shoppers want every moment, from payment choice to enjoyment, to be seamless, secure, and meaningful.”

From early shopping and travel plans to evolving payment preferences, the festive season is becoming more diverse and brings opportunities for merchants to connect with consumers in new ways.

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