Payment apps poised to become luxury-shopping experience of the future

Monday 5^th March 2018 – London — Apps are taking over the world of mCommerce, but the biggest gains will be made by brands that provide a “five-star” service through their mobile apps, new research from Worldpay reveals.

While apps are outpacing mobile browsers for consumers around the world, they are more popular in emerging than developing economies. Meanwhile, shoppers in these markets are also significantly more likely to pay more for goods and services if they are accompanied by a first-class user experience.

The findings come from Worldpay’s latest global overview of mobile consumer spending, The Mobile Payment Journey. The research polled more than 16,000 people across 10 markets to discover their most recent mobile payment experience and spending habits, and to find the elusive secret of what makes a mobile shopper hit the pay button.

The research found that 71 per cent of global respondents made their last mobile purchase through an app, with 29 per cent using a mobile browser. Apps were most popular in India and China, accounting for more than 80 per cent of smartphone purchases. By comparison, consumers in more developed markets were less likely to use an app, with those in the UK and the US most resistant.

In a significant finding for merchants seeking to target newly-mobile citizens, the study found that many consumers are seeking a more luxurious, personalised “concierge-style” service on their mobile – and are willing to pay a premium for it. This preference was strongest in emerging markets, with consumers in Brazil (53 per cent), China (62 per cent), and India (64 per cent) most likely to pay for a five-star service. This compares to just 31 per cent in the UK, 32 per cent in Germany, and 37 per cent in the US.

There was a similar split when it came to the issue of personal data security. Consumers in emerging markets are much more likely to be happy providing biometric data, such as fingerprint scanning or facial recognition, to an app if it made the payment stage quicker. While a majority of shoppers in Brazil (63 per cent), India (66 per cent), and China (67 per cent) were comfortable providing this data, fewer than half in the UK, US, Japan and Germany agreed.

Shane Happach, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Enterprise eCommerce, at Worldpay, Inc. said: “Apps are clearly the future of mobile commerce, but there are stark differences in users’ expectations in emerging and more developed markets.

“In the latter, security is paramount, with consumers reluctant to provide biometric data, while security concerns are the biggest reason for smartphone basket abandonment. For those in emerging economies, the experience is everything. For example, they are willing to provide biometric data to make the payment process smoother, and pay more to get that tailored five-star service, such as receiving personalised push notifications to their devices from a nearby store.

“The message for merchants is clear: if they take the time to understand each market and consumers’ preferences, they will see fewer abandoned baskets, more app downloads, and increased sales of more valuable goods and services.”

About the data
The research was compiled in partnership with Opinium and interviewed interviewed 16,000 consumers who have purchased goods on their mobile in the last 3 months in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and UK. Reports are available at: http://www.mobilepaymentjourney.worldpay.com

About Worldpay
Worldpay, Inc. (NYSE: WP; LSE: WPY) is a leading payments technology company with unique capability to power global integrated omni-commerce. With industry-leading scale and an unmatched integrated technology platform, Worldpay offers clients a comprehensive suite of products and services globally, delivered through a single provider.
Worldpay processes over 40 billion transactions annually through more than 300 payment types across 146 countries and 126 currencies. The company’s growth strategy includes expanding into high-growth markets, verticals and customer segments, including global eCommerce, Integrated Payments and B2B.
Worldpay, Inc. was formed in 2018 through the combination of the No. 1 merchant acquirers in the U.S. and the U.K. Worldpay, Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange as “WP” and the London Stock Exchange as “WPY.”
Visit us at www.worldpay.com

For more information, please contact:
Emily Lahey : Emily.lahey@worldpay.com – +(44) 7584 339633
Louise Mead : worldpayecommteam@golin.com – +44 (0) 207 067 0585