REPORT Convenience, security, speed: the top 3 criteria for choosing a payment method

According to a new report from Germany-based secondary market research firm yStats.com, “Europe Online Payment Methods: First Half 2017” (PDF file), the payment preferences of online shoppers in Europe differ by country. In several Eastern European nations, including Romania and Hungary, cash on delivery is still the top choice, although online card payments are on the rise.

On average across the region, convenience, security and speed are the top 3 criteria for choosing a payment method.

Card payments account for the highest share of E-Commerce spending in Europe, as of 2017. The share of e-wallets such as PayPal increased significantly over the past several years but remained second. Nevertheless, there is significant room for variance in terms of how online shoppers in different countries prefer to pay. While bank card is the most popular online payment method in countries such as the UK, Belgium and France, cards stand in close rivalry with PayPal in Italy and rank far behind payment by invoice in Germany and Switzerland.