The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Pocket Revolution: How Mobile Wallets Are Changing Payments Worldwide” provides an analysis of global digital engagement, examining how mobile wallets and mobile-first payments are reshaping consumer transactions online and in-store.
Based on a survey of 216,679 consumers across 11 countries, representing 50% of global GDP, the study reveals that mobile wallets now power 35% of online transactions and 21% of in-store transactions across these nations. The shift reflects a change in the form factor — meaning the device or method used to make a payment — from traditional plastic cards to mobile interfaces, without altering the underlying funding sources like credit or debit cards. Instead, mobile wallets securely store and tokenize these familiar methods, offering a faster and safer way to pay.
While Generation Z leads in mobile wallet adoption and sets the pace for mobile-first payments, the report underscores that this trend is expanding across all generations, becoming increasingly age-agnostic. Mobile-first payments are gaining traction among millennials, Generation X and baby boomers, transitioning from a youth trend to a cross-generational behavior shift.
This broad adoption signals that mobile wallets are not merely a premium experience but essential, low-cost tools for everyday spending, with low-income consumers increasing their usage more than high-income groups. Providers should design intuitive, secure and frictionless experiences that appeal to all age groups to capture a broader and more loyal user base.
Key data points highlighting generational differences in mobile wallet usage include:
- Generation Z’s in-store mobile wallet usage has seen an increase of 23% since 2022, establishing this cohort as a primary driver of mobile-first payment trends across the 11 countries studied.
- Beyond Gen Z, mobile wallet adoption is also growing among other age groups, with in-store usage increasing by 3.7% for millennials, 5.1% for Generation X and 9.9% for baby boomers and seniors between 2022 and 2024.
- The report identifies distinct consumer personas, with the “Committed” group, representing 18% of the population. It consists primarily of young, digitally fluent and employed individuals who are interested in financial technology like super apps and use mobile banking applications, making mobile wallets their preferred payment method.
Beyond generational shifts, the report also delves into other facets of mobile wallet adoption, noting that patterns remain localized, influenced more by specific regional behaviors and the availability of acceptable substitutes than by infrastructure gaps. While global wallet brands like Apple Pay and Google Wallet continue to expand, local solutions such as Pix in Brazil and iDEAL in the Netherlands are capturing market share, highlighting the importance of tailoring experiences to regional preferences.
The study also reveals that factors like income and whether consumers live in urban or rural areas are less relevant drivers of mobile wallet adoption than previously thought, suggesting that the utility of these payment tools transcends socioeconomic or geographic divides.
