Ecommerce payment options have become an important consideration for online retailers. Customers increasingly expect to complete purchases using familiar, convenient payment methods, whether that means entering debit card details, using a digital wallet or selecting another supported payment service.
For UK online shops, accepting debit and credit cards remains a sensible starting point. However, supporting digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay can also make the checkout process more convenient, particularly for customers shopping on mobile devices.
Other options, including PayPal, Buy Now Pay Later and account-to-account payments, may be valuable depending on the products being sold and the preferences of the business’s customers.
The challenge is deciding which methods genuinely improve the payment experience without introducing unnecessary processing costs or complexity.
Rather than attempting to support every available payment method, retailers should focus on a manageable selection that reflects how their customers prefer to pay.
Which payment methods do UK online shoppers commonly use?
Debit and credit cards remain central to payment acceptance in the UK.
According to UK Finance, card payments accounted for 64% of all UK payments during 2025, with debit cards remaining the country’s most frequently used payment method.
The same research found that 65% of UK adults were registered for at least one mobile payment service, demonstrating the growing importance of digital wallets.
UK Finance
These statistics cover payments across the UK economy rather than online shopping exclusively. However, they provide useful context for businesses deciding which payment methods their customers are likely to recognise and use.
For most UK ecommerce retailers, payment acceptance should begin with the following considerations.
| Payment method | Main customer benefit | Retailer consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Debit cards | Familiar, widely used payment method | Core checkout requirement for most shops |
| Credit cards | Familiar payment option with access to credit | Processing costs and customer protections |
| Apple Pay and Google Pay | Convenient payment using supported devices | Gateway and device compatibility |
| PayPal | Alternative payment account | Additional provider fees and integration |
| Buy Now Pay Later | Spreading eligible purchase costs | Merchant fees, suitability and terms |
| Bank-based payments | Paying directly from a bank account | Customer adoption and checkout experience |
Not every retailer needs every option.
A small business selling inexpensive everyday products may have different requirements from an online furniture retailer offering higher-value purchases.
The objective is to remove unnecessary payment restrictions while keeping the checkout straightforward.
Why are debit and credit cards still essential?
Debit and credit cards provide a familiar payment experience for customers who prefer entering card details directly.
Although alternative payment methods are becoming more popular, many shoppers still expect a conventional card payment option to be available.
A customer shopping from a desktop computer, for example, may prefer using their existing bank card rather than setting up a digital wallet or accessing another payment account.
Card acceptance is also particularly relevant to businesses serving customers across different age groups and levels of technological confidence.
Some customers regularly use mobile payment applications, while others prefer traditional card payments.
Offering both approaches allows customers to choose the method they find most convenient.
Should online shops accept both Visa and Mastercard?
For most UK ecommerce businesses, accepting major card networks such as Visa and Mastercard is a sensible baseline.
These networks support cards issued by numerous UK and international financial institutions.
However, businesses should confirm which specific card types their payment provider supports.
For example, acceptance arrangements may differ for certain commercial cards, prepaid cards or international transactions.
Retailers should also understand whether processing charges vary depending on the card being used.
A gateway supporting multiple card types can make checkout more accessible, but businesses need to understand the associated costs before deciding which payment methods to offer.
Why are digital wallets becoming more important?
Digital wallets allow customers to use payment credentials stored securely within a compatible device or payment service.
For example, a customer using an iPhone may be able to complete an online purchase through Apple Pay, while someone using a compatible Android device may choose Google Pay.
Rather than manually entering card details, the customer can authorise the transaction using the supported authentication method.
Depending on the device and payment arrangement, this may involve facial recognition, fingerprint authentication or a passcode.
This convenience can be particularly useful when shopping on a mobile phone.
How do digital wallets improve mobile shopping?
Consider a customer ordering a replacement phone charger while travelling home.
They find a suitable product through an online retailer and proceed to checkout using their smartphone.
If the retailer only accepts manually entered card details, the customer may need to locate their physical card and enter its number, expiry date and security code.
With a compatible digital wallet, the customer may be able to authorise payment using information already stored on their device.
The reduced need for manual entry can make completing the transaction more convenient.
However, digital wallet payments still depend on the retailer’s payment provider supporting the chosen wallet and the customer’s device being compatible.
Businesses should therefore avoid treating wallets as a complete replacement for ordinary card payments.
Are digital wallets only relevant to younger shoppers?
Digital wallets are particularly popular among younger adults, but their use is not limited to one age group.
UK Finance reported that 89% of people aged 25 to 34 were registered for a mobile payment service in 2025, compared with 29% of people aged over 65.
UK Finance
This difference suggests that a business’s customer demographics should influence its payment decisions.
A retailer primarily serving younger, mobile-first customers may find digital wallet support especially relevant.
However, a business serving customers across a broad age range should continue providing accessible alternatives.
The goal is not to predict how every customer will pay, but to avoid excluding reasonable preferences.
Should ecommerce businesses offer PayPal?
PayPal is an established alternative payment option that allows customers to pay using their PayPal accounts or other available payment arrangements.
For some shoppers, using a familiar third-party payment service provides additional convenience.
They may already have payment information stored within their account and prefer not to enter it separately on every retailer’s website.
Other customers may simply be more comfortable using a payment service they recognise.
However, retailers should not assume that PayPal is essential for every ecommerce business.
Its value depends on customer demand, integration capabilities and processing costs.
For example, a specialist online retailer receiving frequent requests for PayPal may have a stronger reason to introduce it than a business whose customers already complete purchases comfortably using cards and digital wallets.
Can offering alternative methods prevent abandoned purchases?
It can help in some circumstances.
Research by the Baymard Institute found that some customers abandon purchases when their preferred payment method is unavailable.
In a 2023 study of US online shoppers, 11% of respondents reported abandoning a checkout within the previous three months because a desired payment option was missing.
Baymard
Although this finding does not establish the equivalent rate among UK shoppers, it illustrates an important principle: payment preferences can influence whether customers complete purchases.
The practical implication is not that retailers should add every possible method.
Instead, businesses should identify whether customers are requesting alternatives and whether those requests represent a meaningful commercial opportunity.
For example, repeated enquiries about PayPal may indicate a genuine gap in payment acceptance.
Occasional requests for an unfamiliar payment service may not justify adding another integration.
Is Buy Now Pay Later worth offering?
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) allows eligible customers to spread certain purchases over instalments or defer payment under the provider’s terms.
This may be particularly relevant for businesses selling higher-value products.
For example, a customer purchasing furniture, electronics or other relatively expensive items may prefer spreading the cost rather than paying the entire amount immediately.
However, BNPL should be evaluated carefully.
Although it can provide customers with additional flexibility, it is a credit-related payment arrangement and may involve fees, eligibility checks and repayment obligations.
Businesses should avoid assuming that introducing BNPL automatically increases sales or customer satisfaction.
What should retailers consider before offering BNPL?
The first consideration is whether the payment method suits the products being sold.
A retailer selling low-cost household essentials may receive limited additional value from offering instalment payments.
A business selling higher-value items might see greater customer interest.
The second consideration is cost.
BNPL providers may charge merchants differently from conventional card processors.
Businesses should establish how those costs affect profitability before offering the service.
For example, consider an illustrative product selling for £200.
If the business earns a £50 gross profit before payment processing and other selling costs, an additional merchant charge of £10 would reduce that amount to £40.
This represents a 20% reduction in the original £50 gross profit.
The example demonstrates why additional payment flexibility should be considered alongside margins rather than assessed only against potential sales.
Retailers should also understand refund procedures, customer disputes and the responsibilities involved in promoting credit-related payment services.
A separate assessment of BNPL suitability is particularly useful for businesses considering whether the additional option is commercially worthwhile.
Are bank-based payments becoming more relevant to ecommerce?
Bank-based payments provide another possible alternative to conventional card processing.
Some payment services allow customers to authorise transfers directly from their bank accounts through supported online banking systems.
These arrangements can involve open banking payment technology, including payment initiation services.
For customers, the process may involve selecting their bank and authorising payment through their banking application.
For retailers, the potential benefits depend on the payment provider’s pricing, settlement arrangements and operational capabilities.
However, bank-based checkout payments should not be confused with asking customers to make manual bank transfers.
A properly integrated payment service can provide a structured checkout process with transaction confirmation and appropriate payment tracking.
A manual transfer arrangement generally requires more intervention and may introduce additional reconciliation work.
Are bank payments suitable for every retailer?
Not necessarily.
Some customers prefer card payments because they are familiar with the process and associated protections.
Others may be comfortable authorising payments directly through their banking application.
Bank-based options may be worth exploring for businesses handling particular transaction types, but they should not be introduced solely because the technology is available.
Retailers need to establish whether the method will be convenient for their customers and whether the payment provider offers the necessary integration.
How do payment expectations differ between online retailers?
Different businesses can require different payment arrangements even when they serve customers through similar websites.
Consider three illustrative UK ecommerce businesses.
A small clothing retailer
An independent clothing shop might sell products ranging from £15 to £100.
Its customers frequently browse on smartphones and may purchase several items during a single visit.
For this business, debit cards, credit cards and digital wallets could form a practical payment setup.
The retailer might investigate PayPal if customers regularly request it.
BNPL may be less important unless the shop offers higher-value orders where instalment options could be relevant.
A specialist furniture retailer
An online furniture business might sell products costing several hundred pounds.
Its customers may spend more time researching purchases and comparing payment arrangements.
Alongside conventional card and wallet payments, the retailer may find value in examining instalment payment services.
However, the potential benefit must be weighed against processing charges, customer eligibility and the business’s margins.
A subscription-based business
A business selling subscriptions or recurring services has different priorities.
Customers may expect to provide payment details once and have subsequent payments collected automatically according to their agreement.
In this case, support for secure recurring payments may be more important than offering several one-off checkout alternatives.
The business also needs to consider what happens when a stored payment method expires or a scheduled transaction fails.
These examples demonstrate why payment selection should reflect the buying journey rather than simply copying the methods offered by larger competitors.
How many payment options should an online shop offer?
There is no universal number of payment methods that every ecommerce business should provide.
Offering too few options can prevent some customers from paying conveniently.
However, adding numerous payment choices without a clear purpose can also complicate the checkout experience.
Baymard’s payment user experience research highlights the importance of presenting payment methods clearly and avoiding unnecessary visual complexity.
Baymard
For many small UK retailers, a sensible starting point is support for major debit and credit cards alongside relevant digital wallets.
Additional payment methods can then be evaluated according to customer demand.
A practical selection process involves understanding the business’s customers before introducing more complexity.
How can retailers identify customer payment preferences?
Begin with information the business already has.
Customer service enquiries may reveal payment methods people regularly request.
Checkout analytics may show whether particular devices or customer groups experience difficulties completing purchases.
Payment provider reports may also reveal which supported methods customers actually use.
For example, if most completed purchases occur on mobile devices, reviewing digital wallet availability may be a sensible priority.
If customers repeatedly ask whether PayPal is accepted, the business can investigate whether adding it would justify the costs.
However, retailers should be cautious about drawing conclusions from small samples.
Three customers requesting a particular payment service do not necessarily establish that hundreds of other shoppers want the same option.
The best approach is to combine customer feedback with transaction information and realistic cost assessments.
What are the costs of offering multiple payment methods?
Different payment arrangements may involve different charges.
A business accepting card payments through one provider might pay a transaction fee based on the value of each payment.
Introducing another service could add separate transaction charges, account fees or integration costs.
Some providers also distinguish between domestic and international transactions.
Businesses need to understand these differences because a payment option that attracts customers may not always be the most economical way to process an order.
How can payment processing costs affect profit?
Consider an illustrative retailer processing 1,000 online orders each month with an average order value of £40.
That represents £40,000 in monthly sales.
If the average effective payment processing cost is 1.5%, the business would pay approximately £600 in processing fees.
If the average effective cost increased to 2%, the fees would rise to £800.
That is an additional £200 each month, or £2,400 over a year, assuming turnover remains unchanged.
These figures are hypothetical and do not represent Gorilla Pay’s pricing or any other provider’s quotation.
They demonstrate why retailers should assess the overall cost of accepting payments instead of focusing entirely on the number of supported methods.
A more expensive payment option may still be worthwhile if it demonstrably generates profitable additional sales.
However, the business should establish that benefit rather than assume it exists.
How can a payment gateway support different checkout methods?
An online payment gateway provides the technical connection used to process supported online transactions.
Depending on the provider and integration, the gateway may allow businesses to accept different card types, digital wallets and other payment services.
A gateway can also support additional requirements, such as recurring payments or multi-currency transactions.
The important distinction is that choosing a payment gateway does not automatically mean every payment method is available.
Businesses should confirm exactly which methods are supported by their chosen package and website integration.
Choosing a suitable ecommerce payment setup
Gorilla Pay provides online payment gateway solutions for UK businesses, including support for ecommerce payment processing and recurring transactions.
Its payment services are intended to give businesses flexible arrangements, transparent pricing and access to customer support.
For a small retailer, this means payment requirements can be considered alongside transaction costs and the practical needs of the website.
For example, a business using WooCommerce should establish whether its chosen gateway supports the payment methods it needs through an appropriate integration.
A subscription business should confirm how recurring transactions are handled.
A retailer selling internationally should consider currency support and the costs associated with cross-border transactions.
Businesses can explore Gorilla Pay’s payment services when assessing an appropriate arrangement.
Specific digital wallet, alternative payment method and platform compatibility should always be confirmed before committing to a solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do online shops need to accept American Express?
Not necessarily. American Express may be valuable for retailers whose customers frequently use it, but acceptance should be assessed against provider availability, transaction charges and customer demand.
For many smaller retailers, Visa and Mastercard support will be the initial priority.
Can customers use Apple Pay without entering card details?
Yes. Where Apple Pay is supported, customers can generally authorise eligible payments using credentials already configured within their wallet.
They may still need to provide other checkout information, such as a delivery address, depending on the integration.
Is PayPal essential for a small ecommerce website?
No. PayPal can be useful, but it is not essential for every retailer.
Businesses should consider whether customers request it, whether it integrates with their checkout and how its charges compare with existing payment arrangements.
Should international customers be offered different payment methods?
Potentially. Payment preferences vary between countries, and some international customers may expect local payment methods.
However, businesses should establish whether international demand is substantial enough to justify additional integrations.
Currency conversion charges and settlement arrangements should also be considered.
Can an online retailer change its payment options later?
Usually, although the process depends on the ecommerce platform and payment provider.
Adding or removing payment methods may require changes to gateway settings, plugins or checkout integrations.
Businesses should test changes carefully to avoid disrupting existing transactions or recurring payment arrangements.
Which ecommerce payment options should businesses prioritise?
Most UK ecommerce retailers should begin with reliable debit and credit card acceptance, supported by convenient digital wallet options where appropriate.
These methods cover familiar customer payment preferences without requiring an unnecessarily complicated checkout.
Additional services such as PayPal, Buy Now Pay Later or bank-based payments may provide value for particular businesses, but their suitability depends on customer demand, transaction costs and the products being sold.
The most useful approach is to choose payment methods based on evidence rather than following every emerging trend.
An independent retailer selling inexpensive everyday items does not necessarily need the same checkout arrangement as a furniture business or subscription provider.
By understanding how customers prefer to pay and reviewing the commercial implications of each option, businesses can create a checkout that offers meaningful flexibility without introducing unnecessary expense.
Gorilla Pay provides online payment gateway solutions for businesses looking for straightforward, flexible payment processing. With transparent pricing and support for different ecommerce requirements, businesses can explore a payment arrangement that fits their customers and day-to-day operations.
To discuss suitable payment options for your online shop, contact Gorilla Pay.
Phone: 02392 253322 Email: gorillas@gorillapay.co.uk Find out more: https://gorillapay.co.uk
