36 percent of the population has already made at least one purchase using mobile payment via their smartphone at the checkout.. The findings, reported by newspapers within the Funke-Mediengruppe, highlight increasing adoption of this technology.
The survey indicates that many mobile payment users are incorporating this method into their everyday routines. Twenty-one percent recently (within the last week) made a purchase with their smartphone instead of a card or cash, while 31 percent have used this method within the last month.
“Paying with a smartphone is quick and convenient and many people habitually carry their phone even when they’ve left their wallet at home” stated Oliver Maier, Managing Director of Verivox Finanzvergleich GmbH. “For roughly one in seven individuals, the smartphone has become their preferred method for smaller purchases at the checkout.
The research suggests a willingness to use mobile payment for relatively modest sums; 14 percent of those surveyed indicated a preference for using a smartphone to pay for a 20-euro purchase. Higher levels of adoption are observed within more educated demographics, with 20 percent of those holding a university degree preferring mobile payment, compared to just 9 percent among individuals with lower levels of education.
Despite the rising popularity, skepticism remains towards dominant US-based mobile payment providers. Only a quarter of respondents identify either Apple Pay (15 percent) or Google Pay (11 percent) as their most trusted option. Conversely, half of the participants express greater trust in a locally-developed payment app provided by their bank or savings institution.
Several institutions, including Sparkassen, Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken and Targobank, currently offer their own Android-based payment apps. Other institutions have integrated payment functionalities directly into their existing banking apps. iPhone users, however, largely remain dependent on Apple Pay, although the company has been required to open its system to third-party providers. Users seeking alternative payment methods on iPhones may still need to rely on third-party platforms, such as the PayPal app which utilizes a virtual Mastercard debit card. Looking ahead, the European payment service, Wero, has the potential to become a notable competitor to Apple Pay.
