Changes in the internet economy are prompting businesses to take a more tailored approach to checkout. On Stripe, 65% of transactions under $50 now happen on mobile, and shoppers are increasingly staying on their phones for higher-value purchases, too. Digital wallets cut average mobile checkout time in half, but wallet preferences vary widely by region and generation, shaping checkout design. Local payment methods are becoming a bigger driver of conversion, and offering the right one—or the right mix—can substantially improve performance.
Checkout is also being redesigned for a new kind of buyer: agents. As customers grow more comfortable with AI-assisted purchases across a range of categories, businesses are rethinking how they manage risk and convert increasingly fragmented demand.
We analyzed checkout and payment activity from nearly 20,000 B2C businesses on the Stripe network from August 2023 through February 2026, and combined those insights with Stripe-commissioned surveys to understand the latest trends in consumer preferences.
The resulting report examines how customer purchase behavior is changing, how those shifts are showing up in the checkout flow, and what they mean for businesses.
A few takeaways stand out:
1. Shoppers are increasingly making big-ticket purchases on mobile
Mobile already dominates smaller purchases, but the old habit of moving to desktop for bigger purchases is starting to fade. Stripe data shows shoppers are increasingly completing higher-value purchases on mobile, including purchases over $500. While that shift is most pronounced in APAC and EMEA—where mobile is the preferred checkout device—mobile in the US gained share across every purchase size we measured in the last two years. Canada is the outlier: shoppers there tend to switch to desktop in the $100–$249 price range, based on our data.
2. As digital wallets spread globally, wallet preference is generational and regional
Digital wallets now account for about 30% of global point-of-sale volume. In our global survey, 61% of shoppers said they would use a digital wallet. And in traditionally card-led markets like the US and Japan, they’re among the fastest-growing checkout methods.
Here, we’re seeing a generational divide.
That preference also extends across purchase sizes. In our survey, 50% of shoppers ages 18–29 said they use wallets for purchases under $25, and $33% said they use them for purchases over $250. A driving factor here is speed: Stripe data shows that using a digital wallet cuts average mobile checkout time in half.
But while wallets are becoming the default checkout layer across markets, the leading wallet still varies by region—from MB WAY in Portugal to MobilePay in Denmark to Alipay in China. Those regional differences shape how businesses design checkout. Supporting wallets is no longer enough on its own; checkout needs to reflect how people actually pay in each market. In some regions, adding Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link might cover most checkout volume. In others, a different wallet mix might do more to improve conversion.
3. As global demand broadens, checkout expectations become more market-specific
In a YouGov consumer survey commissioned by Stripe, 45% of respondents said they had made at least one international online purchase in the past year. However, global demand doesn’t automatically translate into conversion. Businesses need to localize checkout—but even localization strategy is market-specific. What customers expect from checkout differs by market.
In some places, like Indonesia and Vietnam, payment preference is more fragmented. Consumer preferences are distributed across digital wallets, bank transfers, debit-linked apps, and other local payment methods. In these markets, localization means adapting the full checkout experience: payment method mix, currency, and the way options are presented.
In other markets, preferences are more concentrated. There, conversion depends on centering a single, dominant payment method.
Shoppers notice when checkout feels unfamiliar, and missing relevant payment methods—or showing irrelevant ones—can hurt performance. Our experiments on the Stripe network found that showing just one payment method that’s not geographically relevant can reduce conversion rates by up to 15%.
Supporting the leading method can have an outsized effect. For example, Stripe data shows that offering BLIK to customers in Poland increases checkout conversion by 46% on average, while offering Pix in Brazil increases conversion by 31% on average.
4. AI-assisted shopping and agents are starting to change the path to checkout
AI is reshaping checkout from both sides of the transaction. On the front end, shoppers are becoming more receptive to agent-assisted buying. In a survey conducted by Stripe and Visa of more than 3,500 consumers, a majority across markets said they’re open to AI agents helping them make purchasing decisions.
On the back end, AI is also changing how payment performance is managed. As automated attacks such as card testing become easier to scale, businesses often respond by tightening risk controls, which can inadvertently reject legitimate customers in the process. New payment models help balance that trade-off by evaluating more signals in real time, requesting authentication more selectively, and improving how payments are routed and retried. Stripe’s AI-driven interventions can reduce fraud by 30% without lowering conversion, by decreasing false declines and issuer rejections.
Together, these shifts are changing checkout from a simple payment step into the point where identity, intent, and authorization are verified. Product discovery and purchasing are increasingly happening inside AI interfaces, including general purpose assistants like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, visual search tools such as OpenAI’s image-based shopping, and business-specific tools such as Stitch Fix Vision and Walmart’s Sparky AI shopping assistant. As a result, checkout now needs to recognize who is buying, confirm that the shopper or agent is authorized to complete the purchase, and make it easy to finish the transaction quickly.
Download the full report to see the data behind these shifts and what businesses are doing to adapt.
Facts Only
Stripe analyzed checkout and payment activity from nearly 20,000 B2C businesses from August 2023 through February 2026.
65% of transactions under $50 on Stripe now occur on mobile devices.
Shoppers are increasingly completing higher-value purchases, including those over $500, on mobile.
Mobile checkout dominance is most pronounced in APAC and EMEA, with the US also seeing growth across all purchase sizes.
Canada is an outlier, with shoppers switching to desktop for purchases in the $100–$249 range.
Digital wallets account for about 30% of global point-of-sale volume.
61% of shoppers in a global survey said they would use a digital wallet.
Digital wallets are among the fastest-growing checkout methods in traditionally card-led markets like the US and Japan.
50% of shoppers ages 18–29 use wallets for purchases under $25, and 33% use them for purchases over $250.
Digital wallets cut average mobile checkout time in half.
Regional wallet preferences vary, with examples including MB WAY in Portugal, MobilePay in Denmark, and Alipay in China.
45% of respondents in a YouGov survey made at least one international online purchase in the past year.
Offering BLIK in Poland increases checkout conversion by 46% on average, while Pix in Brazil increases conversion by 31%.
Showing an irrelevant payment method can reduce conversion rates by up to 15%.
A Stripe and Visa survey found a majority of consumers across markets are open to AI agents assisting with purchasing decisions.
Stripe’s AI-driven interventions can reduce fraud by 30% without lowering conversion.
AI interfaces like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Walmart’s Sparky AI are influencing product discovery and purchasing.
Executive Summary
Checkout experiences are evolving rapidly as businesses adapt to shifting consumer behaviors and technological advancements. Mobile transactions now dominate, with 65% of purchases under $50 occurring on mobile devices, and higher-value purchases increasingly following suit. Digital wallets are gaining traction globally, accounting for 30% of point-of-sale volume, though preferences vary significantly by region and generation. Local payment methods are becoming critical for conversion, with businesses seeing substantial performance improvements when offering regionally preferred options like BLIK in Poland or Pix in Brazil. Additionally, AI-assisted shopping is reshaping the checkout process, with consumers growing more comfortable with agent-assisted purchases and businesses leveraging AI to manage fraud and payment performance. These trends highlight the need for businesses to localize checkout experiences, optimize for mobile, and integrate AI-driven solutions to meet evolving consumer expectations.
The data, drawn from nearly 20,000 B2C businesses on the Stripe network and consumer surveys, reveals generational and regional differences in payment preferences. While digital wallets are popular among younger shoppers, older demographics may still prefer traditional methods. The rise of AI agents in shopping introduces new challenges, such as verifying identity and intent during checkout, and requires businesses to balance fraud prevention with seamless user experiences. As global demand grows, businesses must tailor checkout flows to local preferences, ensuring payment methods, currencies, and presentation align with market expectations. Failure to do so can result in significant conversion losses, underscoring the importance of adaptability in an increasingly fragmented and AI-influenced marketplace.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative highlights a clear shift in consumer behavior driven by mobile adoption, digital wallet preference, and AI integration in shopping. The data from Stripe’s network and consumer surveys provides a robust foundation for understanding these trends, particularly the regional and generational nuances in payment methods. The emphasis on localization and AI’s dual role—both as a shopping assistant and a fraud prevention tool—paints a compelling picture of a rapidly evolving checkout landscape. The narrative effectively underscores the importance of adaptability for businesses, framing checkout not just as a transactional step but as a dynamic interaction shaped by identity, intent, and authorization.
However, the analysis could benefit from deeper scrutiny of the assumptions underlying these trends. For instance, while the rise of AI-assisted shopping is presented as a natural progression, it raises questions about consumer autonomy and the potential for manipulation in purchasing decisions. The narrative also assumes that businesses can seamlessly integrate AI and localized payment methods, which may overlook the operational challenges smaller businesses face. Additionally, the focus on conversion rates and fraud reduction could inadvertently prioritize business efficiency over consumer trust, especially if AI-driven risk controls become overly aggressive.
Root causes of this narrative include the broader digital transformation of commerce, where convenience and speed are prioritized over traditional checkout flows. The unstated assumption is that consumers will universally embrace these changes, despite potential concerns about privacy, security, and the loss of human interaction in purchasing. Historically, this echoes the shift from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce, where early adopters drove change, but laggards often faced exclusion. The implications for human agency are significant: while AI agents may streamline decisions, they could also erode the deliberative process of shopping, reducing it to algorithmic efficiency.
For human dignity, the key question is whether these changes empower consumers or merely optimize their behavior for business outcomes. Who benefits most—businesses with the resources to implement AI and localization, or consumers who gain convenience but may lose control? Second-order consequences could include further fragmentation of payment ecosystems, increased reliance on a few dominant digital wallets, and the potential for AI to reinforce existing biases in purchasing behavior.
Bridge questions to consider: How might the rise of AI agents in shopping affect consumer trust in the long term? What safeguards are needed to ensure that AI-driven checkout processes do not exploit vulnerabilities in decision-making? What perspectives are missing from this analysis, particularly from consumers who may resist these changes?
Counterstrike scan: If this narrative were part of a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook would likely emphasize the inevitability of AI and digital wallets, framing resistance as outdated or irrational. The content aligns with this pattern to some extent, as it presents these trends as progressive and beneficial without deeply interrogating potential downsides. However, the inclusion of data and multiple perspectives mitigates this risk, suggesting a more balanced intent. No overt manipulation patterns are detected, but the narrative’s optimism about AI and digital transformation warrants critical engagement.
Patterns detected: none
Sentinel — Human
This analysis presents a high-quality synthesis of complex data points, displaying strong structure and logical flow typical of expert-driven journalism, although some fine-tuning suggests AI assistance in structuring the synthesis.