According to this Ipsos survey, conducted among 1,116 people, 49% of Belgians have made at least one mobile payment this year, compared to 44% in 2023.
Digital payments are generally made via a smartphone or smartwatch, or by scanning a QR code. According to the study, this latter payment method continues an upward trend. More than two in five Belgians (42%) have already used mobile payment with QR code, while this figure was 36% in 2023.
Mobile payments via a connected object are also increasing, but less significantly. In fact, a quarter of Belgians (26%) say they have used payment with a connected object this year, compared to 21% in 2022.
It is particularly young people aged 16 to 24 who stand out for their greater use of these payment technologies. Around one in two young people say they feel comfortable with QR code payments (47%) and connected object payments (50%). Additionally, this generation now prefers mobile payments (34%) over contactless card payments (32%).
Contactless payment is, however, anchored in the habits of Belgians. More than three quarters of them say they are comfortable with payment by contactless card, compared to 43% before the coronavirus crisis. More than four out of five Belgians also indicate that they prefer digital payments to using cash.
Since 2022, a law requires all businesses to offer at least one electronic payment method to their customers, in addition to cash.
