Payment methods in United States
The average American online shopper spends US$2,926 a year with e-commerce merchants. The entire e-commerce market is worth almost US$1 trillion.
Market takeaways
- The average American online shopper spends US$2,926 a year with e-commerce merchants. The entire e-commerce market is worth almost US$1 trillion.
- Between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of e-commerce transactions Americans paid for using cards dropped from 59% to just 50%.
- Americans complete 47% of their online purchases using a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone.
- US online shoppers spend US$130 billion a year with merchants based outside of the country, up from US$106 billion in 2020.
- By 2027, the American e-commerce market will be worth almost US$1.5 trillion and the average US online shopper with spend US$4,215 a year with e-commerce merchants.
Population
340M
Online population
315.2M
B2C e-commerce
$819B
Banked population
98%
Credit card population
69%
E-commerce of total retail
17%
Payment method breakdown
- Card50%
- Cash1%
- Bank Transfer9%
- E-Wallet32%
- Other8%
Card scheme breakdown
- Visa59%
- Mastercard26%
- American Express8%
- Local schemes4%
- Other3%
Cross-border e-commerce
Cross-border shoppers
41%
Share of e-commerce
16%
Cross-border value (est.)
$130B
Featured payment methods in United States
Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.
Venmo
Venmo is a peer-to-peer wallet that lets users split bills, move money between Venmo and bank accounts, receive early paycheck deposits and customise privacy settings; sending money via a linked bank account or Venmo balance is free (a 3% fee applies when using a credit card)
Apple Pay
Apple's digital wallet enables easy, secure and private transactions in stores, apps and on the web. It uses device-embedded security features and tokenization; Apple does not store card numbers or transaction details Flow: User taps Apple Pay button, selects card in native sheet, authenticates via Face ID/Touch ID, result returns instantly. Tokenized PAN sent to gateway for authorization.
Buy Now Pay Later (Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna etc.)
BNPL services allow shoppers to split purchases into instalments without traditional credit cards. While BNPL currently holds a small share of e-commerce payments, it is growing rapidly and leaders like Afterpay and Klarna continue to expand under increasing regulatory scrutiny
PayPal
PayPal is widely used for online purchases in Greenland, particularly for cross-border e-commerce where local payment options are limited. Flow: User selects PayPal, a modal or redirect opens. User logs in, confirms funding source, reviews details, authorizes. Control returns to merchant with approved or declined status.
Cash App
Cash App is a digital wallet operated by Block; it allows users to send and receive money, access a debit card, invest in stocks or bitcoin and apply for loans. As of 2024 it reported about 57 million users and USD 283 billion in annual inflows
Zelle
Zelle is a bank-owned peer-to-peer network available within participating mobile banking apps. Users enrol with an email address or U.S. mobile number and can send money to friends and family; funds are transferred directly between bank accounts, typically within minutes, and 99.44% of linked accounts charge no fee for sending or receiving money
All payment methods in United States
Discover 9 payment methods from around the world
Featured banks in United States
Major institutions operating in this market.
HSBC Hong Kong
Hong Kong
HSBC is Hong Kong's largest bank and the note-issuing bank of the territory, offering retail, commercial, private, and investment banking.
HSBC Holdings
London, United Kingdom
HSBC is one of the world's largest banks by assets, headquartered in London with a dominant presence in Asia. It offers retail, commercial, and investment banking in over 60 countries.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)
Beijing, China
ICBC is the world's largest bank by total assets and the largest of China's 'Big Four' state-owned banks. It offers retail, corporate, and investment banking globally.
JPMorgan Chase
New York, United States
JPMorgan Chase is the largest US bank and one of the world's largest financial institutions, offering consumer banking, investment banking, commercial banking, and asset management globally.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)
Sydney, Australia
CBA is Australia's largest bank by market capitalisation and retail deposits, offering retail, SME, corporate, and institutional banking.
Bank of America
Charlotte, United States
Bank of America is the second-largest US bank by assets, providing consumer banking, wealth management (Merrill Lynch), and global banking and markets services worldwide.
All banks in United States
Showing 32 of 71 banks
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