TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key indicators
- Payment methods share in the USA
- Which payment method do American consumers prefer to use when shopping online?
- The US Market Overview
Key indicators
Population: 331.0m
Population 15+: 269.2m
Online Population: 297.9m
Currency: USD
GDP: 20,932.8bn USD
GDP per Capita: 63,416 USD
Payment methods share in the USA
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Which payment method do American consumers prefer to use when shopping online?
In 2020, digital/mobile wallets and credit cards were the most popular payment methods for e-commerce transactions among online shoppers in the United States. Debit cards are also a popular choice for e-commerce payments. Preferred payment methods vary by where consumers live, age, gender and income level, so these are all factors to consider. Cards are the leading online payment method in the U.S., used for 59% of all e-commerce transactions, or $348.74 billion in annual online sales. The success of online card payments is due to long-standing familiarity with payment methods. | ![]() |
The popularity of credit and debit cards has made them the pioneers of digital wallets in the United States. With smartphones, digital wallets have the potential to extend the benefits of physical cards by seamlessly integrating loyalty programs and personalized financing offers.
The US Market Overview
The US ranks as the second largest e-commerce market in the world. Business-to-consumer e-commerce sales are worth $744.1 billion. The U.S. e-commerce market is notable for its high adoption rate - 78% of U.S. citizens already shop online - and the dominance of domestic online giants like Amazon, eBay, and Apple, which are ranked as the top three e-commerce resellers by market application.
Amazon alone takes for nearly 50% of all e-commerce sales in the US. In turn, major domestic retail brands have started investing heavily in their digital products.
This rich domestic e-commerce market makes cross-border online shoppers in the U.S. a minority—currently, only one-third (34%) of U.S. online shoppers have made a purchase overseas. The most popular markets are China (1st), Canada (2nd) and the UK (3rd).
The U.S. presents a huge opportunity for the growth of e-commerce, as e-commerce is still a small shopping channel in the country. Online shopping only accounts for 8.9% of total U.S. retail sales; the market still has plenty of room to grow and steal share from traditional brick-and-mortar retail.
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