Lynn Johannson, Advisor, Sustainability and ESG
January 4th, 2024
Payments Data | March 18, 2025
Image: GPR 2025 (worldpay report cover)
Worldpay has dropped their annual 10th Global Payments Report 2025 (83 page PDF report), which always contains reams of great data research and insights on how more and more people are using digital payments around the world, while cash becomes less common. The future of payments is towards real-time, mobile transactions combined with innovative fintech-driven solutions. Global payments are evolving worldwide.
1. The reality is digital payments are taking over. In 2014, just 34% of e-commerce payments were digital but by 2024 that number almost doubled to 66%. By 2030, the report forecasts nearly 80% of all online transactions will be digital, driven by mobile wallets, account-to-account transfers, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) service transactions. In physical store locations, the same trend is happening where digital transactions have gone from just 3% in 2014 to 38% today (2024) and are expected to reach 53% by 2030.
2. Cash is quickly disappearing but it’s not gone yet. 10 years ago, cash purchases represented 44% of in-store payments worldwide. Today, it's dropped to just 15%, and by 2030, it will likely shrink to 11%. Having said that, cash is stickier in some countries, such as parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia where consumers still rely on cash for everyday purchases. Meanwhile cash has already almost disappeared entirely in countries like Sweden and Norway.
3. Real time payments and account-to-account transfers are changing the way people transfer money. For example, government backed national payment systems like UPI, Pix, and BLIK in countries like India, Brazil, and Poland respectively are expected to reach $3.8 trillion globally by 2030, making them a key trend in digital payments.
4. BNPL is still growing fast, as the opportunity to split payments into installments without a credit card is catching on across industries. BNPL transactions have grown from just $2.3 billion in 2014 to $342 billion today and are expected to reach $580 billion by 2030, a huge volume especially in retail and e-commerce.
5. Even though digital wallets are growing fast, credit cards are still holding strong at 45% of global transactions today. Banks and payment networks are introducing new features like Click to Pay and Visa Flexible Credential to keep credit cards relevant in an increasingly digital world. By 2030, credit card transactions are expected to remain relevant at 56% of global payments.
The table below shows how key payment metrics have evolved and where they are headed in the coming years. Download the full worldpay GPR 2025 report for regional and country by country payment metrics here.
Metric | 2014 (Past) | 2024 (Present) | 2030 (Future Projection) |
Global Digital Payments Share (E-com) | 34% | 66% | 79% |
Global Digital Payments Share (POS) | 3% | 38% | 53% |
Mobile Share of E-commerce Transactions | 19% | 57% | 64% |
Global E-commerce Value | $1.2 trillion | $6.8 trillion | $10.8 trillion |
BNPL Global E-commerce Value | $2.3 billion | $342 billion | $580 billion |
Global POS Transaction $ Value of Cash | $16.1 trillion | $5.6 trillion | $5 trillion |
Cash Share of Global POS Payments | 44% | 15% | 11% |
Credit Cards Share of Global Transactions | 56% | 45% | 56% |
Global Smartphone Users | 1.2 billion | 4.2 billion | 6.1 billion |
While cash usage continues to decline, fintech innovations in payments such as digital wallets, real time payments, BNPL services, and government-backed national payment infrastructure are driving the future of how consumers will pay and transfer funds.
Digital is most certainly taking over, by 2030 most transactions whether online or in store will be digital. These changes are happening to meet the needs of evolving societies and changing economies prioritizing inclusion, convenience, and speed. Just follow the money and you'll see.
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