In the rush to expand internationally, merchants may be overlooking a simple but potent tool: the one-click checkout. While digital wallets and real-time payments grab headlines, the frictionless final step of the transaction may hold the greatest potential for conversion and a boost in revenues — especially in global eCommerce, where consumers drop off at the slightest inconvenience.
That’s one of the key takeaways from the new PYMNTS Intelligence and Worldpay report, “Payments Optimization: Powering Global eCommerce Growth.” The report tracks how merchants are leveraging digital payment technologies to keep pace with booming global eCommerce, which is projected to exceed $10 trillion in value by 2030. While it covers familiar terrain — rising adoption of digital wallets, BNPL and A2A — it also surfaces where merchants are falling short in execution.
Cross-border transactions, in particular, remain riddled with pain points. Payment failures, hidden fees, clunky checkout flows and a lack of local payment options drive away international shoppers. The report contends that merchants treating payments as a commodity are losing ground to those treating them as strategic assets — localizing, optimizing and smoothing every step of the payment process.
Key data points include:
- 84% of global shoppers say one-click checkout is an important factor when choosing where to shop, and 18% pick retailers based solely on whether that option is available.
- 72% of merchants report higher payment failure rates in cross-border transactions compared to domestic ones — highlighting just how brittle global payment systems can be.
- 99% of cross-border shoppers want to use their preferred payment method, and 94% want to pay in their local currency — which indicates that merchants must satisfy the expectation for a seamless, local-feeling experience even when buying internationally.
This last point — shoppers expect a local experience no matter where they are — is where checkout optimization comes into play. As the report notes, failed payments and overly complex checkout processes are a key reason for cart abandonment. In fact, 55% of consumers will abandon a purchase if required to attempt payment more than once. And yet, too many merchants continue to rely on outdated or generic checkout systems, underestimating the impact of a few extra clicks.
Beyond checkout, the report offers a wide-angle view of how payment methods are evolving. Digital wallets now account for 66% of global eCommerce value and are expected to reach 79% by 2030. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) has grown from a $2.3 billion niche to a $342 billion global force in just a decade. Account-to-account (A2A) payments, supercharged by systems like India’s UPI and Brazil’s Pix, are expected to reach $3.8 trillion in value by 2030.
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But optimization isn’t one-and-done. It requires ongoing testing, smart integrations, and a deep understanding of local market behavior. From fraud prevention to fulfillment logistics, every touchpoint matters.
