It’s a Summer of Football, but Which Payment Method Takes the Trophy?

The 2026 Global Payments Report from Worldpay, now Global Payments, shows current and projected usage of methods such as cards, cash, wallets, and instant payments compete, as countries compete for dominance 

The Golden Boot goes to… Digital Wallets 

If this were a golden boot race between payment methods, digital wallets would be top scorer by a mile. Already the world’s leading payment method, they accounted for 56% of global e-commerce and 33% of point-of-sale (POS) value in 2025.

• China is the undisputed finalist here: digital wallets make up a staggering 89% of e-commerce and 87% of in-store transaction value. Apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay have so thoroughly dominated that China has largely leapfrogged cards altogether – a tournament upset.
• Elsewhere, Germany hit majority status online in 2025 with 52% of online spend taking place via digital wallets.
• Peru is surging with homegrown digital wallet heroes Yape and PLIN, claiming 44% of online and 38% of POS value in 2025, and in the UK, digital wallets are the fastest-growing method both online and in-store, with more than half of British adults now using them (making up 40% of e-com and 20% of POS volume in the UK in 2025).

Payments Apps: The underdog that made the final

Accounting for 37% of global POS value in 2025, payments apps (including digital wallets, BNPL, a2a) are projected to rocket to 46% by 2030.

• India is the breakout star, with payment apps accounting for 65% of in-store POS value in 2025. Thailand (56%), Hong Kong (54%) and Vietnam (52%) are snapping at its heels
• China’s near-total adoption of apps such as Alipay and WeChat Pay  remains the benchmark the rest of the field is chasing.

QR Codes: The comeback story of the tournament 

Not many placed bets on QR codes to go far. Low-cost, low-friction, and once best known for restaurant menus – but look at them now.

• Argentina tops the leaderboard with 84% of mobile shoppers using QR codes as their primary way to connect with merchants when paying in-store.
• Among consumers who use mobile devices to pay in-store, China follows with 80% consumers using QR codes, Colombia at 76% (via Nequi), the Philippines at 74% (QR PH), and Malaysia at 72% (DuitNow).

The secret to their success? They’re the equaliser – less expensive  for merchants to deploy, easy for consumers to use, and increasingly embedded in national payment infrastructures.

Cash: the tournament veteran who isn’t retiring yet

Cash has been in every tournament, and it’s not done yet. Globally, cash accounted for 14% of in person spend in 2025, and it  also remains a meaningful funding mechanism for wallets in certain markets. 

• The Philippines was number one for cash use in 2025, with cash accounting for 42% of POS transaction value. Cash on delivery represented 23% of e-com value, the highest globally.  Cash on delivery remains an important enabler of e-commerce for the 50% unbanked population, and by 2030, forecasts project cash will still take up 34% of transactions.

• In Mexico, cash made up 40% of POS value in 2025, as most consumers are using cash for low-value transactions. Mexico’s large informal sector and comparably high unbanked population use cash more than all other methods combined.
• In the UK, cash is that one dependable team player that just won’t quit. Despite its fall over the past few decades, cash still made up 9% of POS transaction value in 2025.

Cards: still first name on the team sheet

Every manager has that one player they build the team around – reliable, consistent, and always delivering when it matters. Cards are that player.

• Japan has the largest country share of direct credit card use online, with credit cards accounting for 58% of e-com and 35% of POS value in 2025.
• North America remains a card-dominated region, with direct use of credit, debit and prepaid cards accounting for 50% of e-com and 71% of POS value in 2025.
• Europe is a competitive mid-table battle: cards accounted for 37% of e-com and 58% of POS value in 2025. Turkey is the standout, with the payment method representing two-thirds of e-com and over half of POS value in 2025.
• For the UK, cards are the overwhelming consumer choice. Debit cards are preferred for everyday POS spending , comprising 43% of value in 2025, while online, credit cards took the edge at 23% of e-com value.
• Australia also holds firm, with cards combined registering 37% of online and 64% of in-store value in 2025.

Pete Wickes, General Manager of Enterprise EMEA, at Global Payments, comments: “The payments landscape across the globe has moved beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, in favour of locally relevant innovation. This has led to a range of methods taking the top spot in different markets” 

“In the UK, for example, the most common payment methods build on familiar card infrastructure because it offers greater ease and security. As the payments landscape evolves, businesses need a clear view of how customers want to pay. Expectations are moving toward convenience and choice, and merchants who adapt their payment systems to serve a broad