Real-time payments to witness significant growth globally by 2027

Accelerated by the pandemic's impact on cash usage, the global transition to digital means of payment has become a post-pandemic norm. Digital wallets, a frontrunner in this shift, are projected to witness substantial growth, with a transaction value set to surpass EUR 10 trillion by 2028, nearly doubling from 2023.

Notably, countries in the Asia-Pacific region lead the charge in digital payment adoption, with China boasting almost half of adults using digital wallets daily in May 2022 and India's mobile wallet payment value projected to reach more than EUR 5 billion by 2027.

Real-time payments are gaining global popularity as a digital cash replacement. Across the world, the volume of real-time payments in Latin America is expected to almost quadruple by 2027, showcasing a growing preference for this online payment type.

The report also highlights the emergence of innovative payment options such as account-to-account (A2A) payments and BNPL services. A2A payments, utilizing open banking technology, remain in a nascent stage, with a little over 5% of surveyed Europeans claiming regular usage as of September 2022. Meanwhile, globally, around one quarter of respondents favor BNPL as their preferred online payment method, particularly among Gen Z and millennials in North America.

Although new players like Apple have entered the BNPL market with services like Apple Pay Later, mass adoption is anticipated to take time. As online purchasing trends continue to rise globally, consumers increasingly seek frictionless and secure payment options, leading to the expansion of digital wallets, BNPL services, QR code payments, and instant payments.