U.S. Checkout and Point of Sale Choice Study
Understand How Consumers Choose Their Payment Method at Checkout
The Checkout and Point of Sale (POS) Choice Study benchmarks how U.S. consumers select among 12 different payment methods across online, in-person, and mobile checkout. It reveals what drives payment choice, satisfaction, and openness to emerging payment options—providing a foundational view of today’s rapidly evolving payment landscape.
What the Study Measures
A Cross-Channel View of Payment Preferences and Decision Drivers
Evaluates payment choice across multiple core dimensions:
• Security across payment methods and transaction environments
• Rewards and incentives influencing payment selection
• Acceptance across merchants and transaction types
• Ease of use across in-store and digital experiences
• Cost considerations including fees and interest
• Personalization of payment options and offers
• Repayment terms and flexibility
• Purchase tracking and transaction visibility
• Accessibility across channels and user segments
Tracks:
Tracks:
• Payment behavior across channels and methods including:
Debit Card
Cash
Credit Card
Digital Wallet
Gift Card
Buy Now, Pay Later
Merchant App
Check
Prepaid Card
Pay by Bank
Cryptocurrency
Biometrics
Includes:
– Customized executive presentation and strategy session with data-driven, actionable recommendations.
– Executive briefing document summarizing the key study findings.
– Performance dashboard comparing each payment method across indices, usage reasons, etc.
– Available to Databricks Marketplace and Snowflake Marketplace users
How It Works
How the Checkout and POS Study Works
• Analyzes how consumers choose payment methods across checkout environments
• Measures preferences across online, in-store, and mobile transactions
• Evaluates factors including security, rewards, ease of use, and cost
• Tracks adoption of emerging payment methods and technologies
Core Strengths
Higher Conversion, Less Friction
• Identifies how payment preferences shift across channels
• Shows impact of payment choice on checkout completion rates
• Reveals drivers of adoption for emerging payment methods
• Helps optimize payment mix to reduce friction
Business Impact
Increase Conversion, Improve Strategy
• Identifies where friction occurs across online, app-based, and in-store checkout
• Reveals primary reasons consumers choose or avoid specific payment methods
• Supports product development and payment-method innovation strategies
• Helps measure consumer readiness for emerging payment types
• Provides persona-level insight to target early adopters and high-value segments
Key Dates
2025
Field Start: January 2025
Wave 1 Publish: May 27, 2025
Wave 2 Publish: August 21, 2025
Wave 3 Publish: November 11, 2025
Wave 4 Publish: March 3, 2026
2026
Field Start: January 2026
Wave 1 Publish: May 26, 2026
Wave 2 Publish: August 20, 2026
Wave 3 Publish: November 10, 2026
Wave 4 Publish: March 2, 2027
Who should use it
Built for Leaders Across Payments, Retail, Banking, and Fintech
• Payment providers
• Banks and credit card issuers
• Retailers and e-commerce platforms
• FinTechs and digital wallet providers
• Merchant acquirers and processors
• Product, UX, and customer experience teams
• Marketing and loyalty strategists
PowerSource
Insights Available at a Touch of a Button
Subscribers to this study have full access to benchmark reporting, competitor analysis, and more with PowerSource.
