The diversity of consumer behavior across the continent requires businesses to offer local payment methods tailored to each market to boost conversion, reduce cart abandonment, and increase customer satisfaction.

Why localisation in payments matters

Mobile commerce and fintech innovation continue to reshape Europe’s payment landscape. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026, digital payments accounted for 66% of global e-commerce transaction value in 2025 and are projected to reach 79% by 2030.

While cards remain important, consumers increasingly expect familiar local payment methods and seamless digital wallet experiences at checkout, making localisation a key driver of conversion and customer trust.


picture source: Global Payments Report 2026

Germany

Top Methods: PayPal, digital wallets, SEPA Direct Debit, BNPL, Wero

Germany remains one of Europe’s most localized payment markets, where consumers strongly prefer trusted bank-based and wallet payment methods over cards.

PayPal continues to dominate German e-commerce, with nearly 87% of online shoppers using PayPal in 2025. Digital wallets overall accounted for 52% of Germany’s e-commerce transaction value in 2025, according to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026.

SEPA Direct Debit remains highly important for recurring payments such as subscriptions and utilities, while BNPL and invoice payments continue to be popular thanks to German consumers’ preference for security and flexibility.

Germany is also one of the leading markets for Wero, the new European account-to-account payment solution developed by the European Payments Initiative (EPI), which aims to expand into e-commerce payments in the coming years.

Austria

Top Methods: EPS, digital wallets, open banking payments, credit/debit cards

Austria remains a highly digital and cross-border-oriented e-commerce market, where consumers strongly prefer trusted bank-based payment methods. EPS, Austria’s leading online bank transfer system supported by the country’s major banks, continues to play a key role in online payments.

Open banking payments are also gaining momentum, driven by growing consumer demand for fast and secure account-to-account transactions. This trend aligns well with Austrian shoppers’ long-standing preference for direct bank payments.

At the same time, digital wallets accounted for 41% of Austria’s e-commerce transaction value in 2025, while cards represented 31%, according to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report.

For merchants entering the Austrian market, offering localized payment options such as EPS, open banking payments, digital wallets, and cards is essential for maximizing conversion rates and customer trust.

Poland

Top Methods: BLIK, bank transfers, digital wallets, cards

Poland is one of Europe’s fastest-growing e-commerce payment markets, driven by the massive adoption of BLIK and strong consumer preference for fast account-to-account payments.

BLIK continued its rapid growth in 2025, processing nearly 3 billion transactions in a single year. In e-commerce alone, BLIK transaction value reached PLN 219 billion in 2025, representing a 27% year-on-year increase, while the number of e-commerce transactions grew by 20% YoY. (Source: Blik)

The solution continues to strengthen its dominance in Polish e-commerce, with consumers increasingly favoring fast, mobile-first bank payments over traditional card methods. In 2025, BLIK also gained more than 2 million new users, further reinforcing its position as one of the most important local payment methods in Central Europe.

For merchants entering the Polish market, supporting BLIK and local bank-based payment methods is essential for maximizing conversion rates and meeting local consumer expectations.

Finland

Top Methods: MobilePay, online bank payments, digital wallets, cards

Finland is a highly digital payment market where consumers strongly prefer fast and seamless mobile and bank-based payments. MobilePay remains one of the country’s leading payment apps, with nearly 3 million Finnish users, while Vipps MobilePay reported that Finland was its fastest-growing e-commerce market in 2025, with 79% growth in e-commerce transactions. (source: Vipps MobilePay).

Online bank payments also remain highly popular, reflecting Finnish consumers’ strong trust in direct account-based payments. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026, digital wallets accounted for 35% of Finland’s e-commerce transaction value in 2025, while bank transfers represented 27%.

For merchants entering the Finnish market, offering localized payment methods such as MobilePay and online bank payments is essential for delivering a frictionless checkout experience and improving conversion rates.

Netherlands

Top Methods: iDEAL Wero, digital wallets, cards

The Netherlands remains one of Europe’s most bank-transfer-oriented e-commerce markets, with consumers strongly preferring direct account-to-account payments. iDEAL – now transitioning into iDEAL Wero under the European Payments Initiative (EPI), continues to dominate Dutch online payments and remains the country’s most trusted e-commerce payment method.

In 2025, iDEAL processed more than 1.5 billion transactions, further confirming its dominance in Dutch e-commerce (source: Dutch Payments Association).

At the same time, digital wallets continue to grow in popularity across Dutch e-commerce, as consumers increasingly expect fast and seamless checkout experiences.

For merchants entering the Dutch market, supporting iDEAL Wero and other localized bank-based payment methods is essential for maximizing conversion rates and customer trust.

Belgium

Top Methods: Bancontact, digital wallets, cards

Belgium remains a strongly localized payment market, with Bancontact continuing to dominate online payments. According to Bancontact, Belgian consumers made 393.5 million mobile online payments in 2025, a 17% increase year-on-year, highlighting the country’s strong preference for mobile-first and bank-based payments.

For merchants entering the Belgian market, supporting Bancontact and mobile-first payment methods is essential for maximizing conversion rates and customer trust.

Italy

Top Methods: Satispay, MyBank, digital wallets, cards

Italy’s e-commerce market continues to shift toward mobile and account-based payments. Satispay remains one of the country’s leading local payment apps and surpassed 5 million users in 2025 (source: Satispay).

Bank-based payments also remain highly relevant, with MyBank widely used for secure account-to-account online payments across the Italian market. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026, digital wallets accounted for 43% of Italy’s e-commerce transaction value in 2025.

For merchants entering Italy, offering localized mobile and bank-based payment methods is essential for maximizing conversion rates.

Portugal

Top Methods: MB WAY, Multibanco, digital wallets, cards

Portugal remains a strongly localized payment market, with MB WAY continuing to dominate mobile and online payments. In 2025, MB WAY surpassed 7 million users and continued to strengthen its position as one of the country’s preferred e-commerce payment methods (source: SIBS).

Multibanco also remains highly trusted among Portuguese consumers, especially for online purchases and everyday service payments. According to Worldpay’s Global Payments Report 2026, digital wallets accounted for 40% of Portugal’s e-commerce transaction value in 2025.

For merchants entering Portugal, supporting MB WAY and Multibanco is essential for improving conversion rates and meeting local payment preferences.

Broader trends in European e-commerce

European e-commerce is increasingly driven by digital wallets, mobile-first shopping, and account-to-account (A2A) payments. Consumers expect faster and frictionless checkout experiences, making solutions such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Click to Pay important conversion drivers. At the same time, open banking and local payment methods continue to gain traction, supported by the upcoming expansion of Wero, the European wallet initiative aiming to strengthen pan-European account-based payments.

Merchants that adapt their checkout to local payment habits are better positioned to improve conversion rates and customer trust across Europe.

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