Middle East and Poland show strong consumer
preference for contactless and mobile payments, but UK/Ireland and
Germany more reluctant.

Consumers in the Middle East and Poland show
more enthusiasm for alternative payment methods, such as
contactless and mobile-based solutions that in the branch-saturated
countries of UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria.

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These are the key findings of the latest
report by First Data, titled Payment Methods: What Do
International Consumers Want, Need and Expect?

The electronic commerce and payment processing
solutions provider analysed consumer sentiment for both traditional
and alternative payments and, whilst new technologies are being
adopted steadily, cash remains the main payment option.

 

Lacklustre contactless adoption
worldwide

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First Data called the speed of contactless
adoption “lacklustre” because the penetration of contactless cards
is still low in the countries considered.

But 70% of consumers in the Middle East and
57% in Poland showed “the greatest appetite for the technology”,
compared with just 31% in Germany and 26% in the UK and
Ireland.

 

Key findings for cash
included:

  • 46% of those surveyed prefer paying by cash;
  • In the Middle East, 66% of consumers use cash;
  • In Germany, 58% of consumers use cash;
  • But in Poland, 44% of consumers use cash;

 

In terms of mobile payments, security
concerns are still prevalent:

  • In the Middle East, 58% of people are likely to make a mobile
    payments;
  • In Poland, the figure is 51%;
  • But in the UK and Ireland, the figure is a meagre 25%, and in
    Germany 30%.
  • Overall, 64% of consumers were worried about losing their
    phone.