The Most Popular Payment Methods in Europe

At PCMI, our work in global payments market research often focuses on payment methods, as clients explore opportunities in different areas, seek hard data and sights to drive new strategies and look to achieve other goals.

But in this piece, we’ll primarily be sharing top payment methods in Europe. While our team produces payments market research for the EMEA region, we’ll treat top payment methods in the Middle East and top payment methods in Africa in separate stories.

Most Common Retail Payment Methods in Europe

Recent data from Worldpay¹ looked at common payment methods in Europe for the following countries:

In the aggregate, the most common payment methods for these European countries at the point of service (POS, or retail) are:

While cards are dominant at the POS, Worldpay forecasts that there will be considerable shifts by 2030:

Here we see the top 3 methods lose a significant share as digital wallets gain hugely in share—13 percentage points, while methods as BNPL stay the same.

Most Common E-commerce Payment Methods in Europe

As has occurred in other markets, digital wallets are used for a significant amount of e-commerce transactions in Europe, significantly higher than cards:

By 2030, Worldpay projects that digital methods (wallets and A2A) will gain a greater share of e-commerce payments in Europe as cards, Buy Now Pay Later and other methods stay flat or lose share.

Top Payment Methods in Specific European Markets

While aggregate information can be helpful, drilling down into specific markets can serve strategic planning more effectively. With that in mind, below we break down top retail and e-commerce payment methods in key European markets, based on 2024 data published by Worldpay.²

To facilitate browsing, you can choose the country you are interested in from the menu below.

• Most Common Payment Methods in France
• Most Common Payment Methods in Germany
• Most Common Payment Methods in Italy
• Most Common Payment Methods in Poland
• Most Common Payment Methods in Spain
• Most Common Payment Methods in Turkey
• Most Common Payment Methods in the United Kingdom

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN FRANCE

Most common e-commerce payment methods in France

In France, while digital wallets are in the lead, cards still retain significant market share. It’s projected that cards will lose share by 2030 and wallets will become dominant.

Most common retail payment methods in France

With point of service (POS) transactions, digital wallets have a small share, and cards remain dominant. While wallets are projected to reach a 23% share by 2030, this growth won’t be enough to displace cards as the leading payment method for retail transactions in France (with debit cards alone expected to hold a 42% share by 2030).

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN GERMANY

Most common e-commerce payment methods in Germany

Cards hold a relatively low share of online purchases in Germany, where an impressive 80% of e-commerce transaction volume involves digital payment methods. Wallets and A2A are projected to pull ahead of other methods, reaching a 43% and 27% share by 2030, respectively.

Most common retail payment methods in Germany

Debit and prepaid cards are the leading payment method at the point of sale in Germany, holding a 41% share in 2024, followed by cash at 35%. Together, these two methods account for over 75% of retail transactions. By 2030, their combined share is expected to decline as wallets gain ground, growing from 9% to 20%.

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN ITALY

Most common e-commerce payment methods in Italy

In Italy, digital wallets are set to dominate e-commerce payments, growing from 40% in 2024 to 48% by 2030. Meanwhile, traditional credit card use is expected to decline slightly, from 19% to 14%, as A2A and BNPL gain modest traction.

Most common retail payment methods in Italy

In Italy’s POS payments, cash remains significant but is expected to drop from 25% in 2024 to 20% by 2030, while digital wallets will rise sharply from 15% to 26%. Debit and prepaid cards will continue leading with a 41% share by 2030, up from 34% in 2024.

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN POLAND

Most common e-commerce payment methods in Poland

BLIK is embedded in banking apps, with 35% penetration among adult users in Poland and 71% transaction growth since 2022, as per PCMI analysis of World Bank Findex and FIS data. It’s no surprise, then, that A2A dominates Poland’s e-commerce transactions—and it’s projected to become even more dominant by 2030, reaching a 78% share.

Most common retail payment methods in Poland

Here’s a smoother, corrected version:

For in-store payments, cash held a significant 32% share in 2023, but this has dropped to 26% and is expected to decline further to 19% by 2030. Meanwhile, A2A is on the rise and is projected to capture 41% of the market by 2030.

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN SPAIN

Most common e-commerce payment methods in Spain

While Bizum, a mobile payments system in Spain, now serves over 20 million users, fueling the growth of A2A payments, which are expected to grow at a 15% CAGR from 2024 to 2030. By 2030, A2A is projected to reach a 32% market share. Digital wallets will also continue to grow, while traditional methods like cash and cards are expected to lose ground in the coming years.

Most common retail payment methods in Spain

Cash remains the dominant method for in-store purchases, closely followed by cards. However, the anticipated launch of Bizum for in-store use in 2025—a contactless solution with NFC technology— could shift the balance in favor of A2A in the following years.

Worldpay forecasts that digital wallets will significantly increase their share in Spain’s in-store payments, reaching 25% by 2030 to become the third most used method. Cash will remain the top choice at 28%, followed by debit cards at 26%.

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN TURKEY

Most common e-commerce payment methods in Turkey

In Turkey’s e-commerce, credit cards dominate but are declining, dropping from 47% in 2024 to 32% by 2030. Digital wallets and A2A are gaining ground, each expected to reach 31% and 22% respectively by 2030, while cryptocurrencies and BNPL remain marginal.

Most common retail payment methods in Turkey

In-store payments in Turkey are shifting fast towards digital methods: wallets are on the rise, expected to jump from 14% in 2024 to 28% by 2030, while A2A will double their share to 12%. Credit cards will lose ground, dropping from 43% to 31%. Cash will also decline from 27% to 21%.

TOP PAYMENT METHODS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Most common e-commerce payment methods in United Kingdom

In the UK, digital wallets are the leading payment method for e-commerce purchases and will continue to dominate, reaching an impressive 58% share by 2030. Cards are expected to see a 10-percentage-point decline over the next five years, while cash will stay marginal.

Most common retail payment methods in United Kingdom

In the UK, digital wallets are set to nearly double their share of in-store payments, rising from 18% in 2024 to 33% by 2030. Debit and prepaid cards, though still significant, are projected to decline from 46% to 38% over the same period. Other digital methods like BNPL and A2A are not expected to see significant growth.

Sources:

1. Worldpay. (2025). Global Payments Report 2025 ↩︎
2. Worldpay. (2025). Global Payments Report 2025 ↩︎