Key information
- Bancontact is the preferred payment method for online purchases in Belgium, favored by 73 percent of consumers.
- Debit and credit cards, as well as PayPal, are top options for Belgians, with 41 percent preferring to pay with a card and 39 percent opting for PayPal.
- According to Mollie’s e-commerce report, global payment methods such as credit cards and PayPal are still very popular in Europe.
The preferred payment method for online purchases in Belgium remains Bancontact, according to Mollie’s annual e-commerce report. This year’s survey of 2,000 Belgian consumers found that a large majority (73 percent) prefer Bancontact to other options, with 70 percent using it frequently for their transactions.
Debit and credit cards, as well as PayPal, occupy a prominent place among Belgians’ preferred payment methods. 41 percent of Belgians prefer to pay by card, while 39 percent opt for PayPal. Usage patterns reflect this preference, with 36 percent using debit/credit cards often and 33 percent using PayPal frequently.
Regional preferences
This trend extends beyond Belgian borders. In the UK and France, credit cards top the preferred payment method with 73 percent and 71 percent respectively, while PayPal follows closely behind with 66 percent and 57 percent. Germany favors PayPal (67 percent) for online transactions, followed by payment upon receipt of invoice (40 percent) and credit cards (36 percent). In the Netherlands, iDEAL reigns supreme (66 percent), with PayPal in second place (47 percent) and debit/credit cards third (39 percent).
Global Instructions
Stefanie Richheimer, vice president for Benelux at Mollie, notes that global payment methods such as credit cards and PayPal are still popular in Europe. She highlights the importance of diversity of payment options for online businesses to meet individual consumer preferences, saying: “Every consumer has a unique preference, and a one-size-fits-all solution is not feasible. »
The e-commerce report surveyed 10,000 people in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and France, with 2,000 consumers per country.
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