Global Wallet Use Rises Nearly 30 Percent In-Store Since 2022

An analysis of mobile wallet adoption across 11 major economies shows that the most consequential shift in digital payments is unfolding not in headline growth rates but in the sharp contrasts between markets where wallets replace familiar payment habits and those where they struggle to gain ground.

The report, “How the World Does Digital 2025: Pocket Revolution,” finds that mobile wallets now account for 35% of online transactions and 21% of in-store transactions across the countries surveyed. The study, which covers markets representing half of global GDP, shows that consumers are not abandoning cards. They are shifting the way they access them. Wallets tokenize existing funding methods to deliver faster checkout and biometric security, often without changing the underlying payment preference.

Yet the deeper story lies in how geography shapes that shift. 

• Japan and Singapore post 35% in-store wallet usage, among the highest adoption levels in the sample.
• France records just 13% in-store usage, while the U.S. reaches 19%, reflecting entrenched card behavior and retail acceptance patterns.
• Brazil sees only a 0.9% gain in wallet use since 2022, while bank transfers surge 33% as Pix reshapes consumer payments. 

The contrasts hinge on substitutes consumers trust. In Japan, QR-code-driven ecosystems and super apps such as Line Pay give wallets a natural foothold. Government efforts to reduce cash further accelerate adoption. Singapore’s early move into digital banking and real-time rails creates a similar environment, allowing mobile payments to build on existing digital habits.

France, Germany and Spain provide a counterpoint. Each has strong card cultures and mature contactless systems that offer speed and convenience without requiring consumers to change routines.

Wallets do not displace what already works well. They only gain ground when they deliver value beyond the plastic card.

The data shows that this dynamic is clearest in the United States, where wallets power 19% of in-store purchases but face structural headwinds. Major retailers such as Amazon and Walmart rely on proprietary wallets, while consumers already use tap-to-pay cards with minimal friction. This is a familiar experience. It is also a fast one. It creates inertia. Consumers stick with what works.

Brazil presents a different kind of divergence. The study shows that mobile wallet growth is modest, yet the country delivers the largest shift away from cash and cards through a surge in account-to-account payments. Pix, which offers instant settlement and no consumer fees, has become the default for digital transactions. That shift demonstrates that mobile adoption is not monolithic. Sometimes the most powerful digital disruptor is not the wallet at all. It is the alternative that offers clearer utility at lower cost.

These findings extend to demographic patterns. Gen Z wallet usage has risen 23% since 2022, but the report shows growth across all age groups, even among baby boomers and seniors. Income levels matter less than expected. Rural and urban areas use wallets at similar rates.

Consumers are 50% more likely to use wallets online than in-store, suggesting that eCommerce remains the entry point for new behaviors. Mobile habits start on the screen. Then they move to the store. Slowly.

Together these results show a payment landscape shaped by local habits, infrastructure and the relative advantage of substitutes. Wallets thrive where they outperform the familiar. They stall where they do not. The global story is uneven. It is also accelerating. 

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