With 2025 set to usher in accelerating digital transformation across the entire payment and merchant landscapes, PXP, in collaboration with leading polling firm Censuswide, conducted a survey of 250 payment decision-makers at merchants and retailers across the UK and US in January 2025.

As the business payment landscape undergoes its most significant evolution in decades, the PXP survey gauged merchants’ appetite for tech-led transformation across multiple back-end operational and front-end customer-facing areas. As digital acceleration continues to reshape customer expectations and business efficiencies, the survey shows that payment technology has evolved from a back-office utility to an all-encompassing strategic differentiator across virtually all operational aspects.

Payment technology extends beyond enhancing back-end operational flows like reporting, data analysis, and business intelligence. It is also reshaping front-end customer interactions to increase merchants’ appeal in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Key Survey Findings:

• 36% of businesses rank enhanced security and fraud prevention as their top priority when selecting payment partners.
• 28% cite system and payment platform reliability during high-traffic and peak sales periods as a make-or-break factor for their operations
• 17% prioritise growth and scalability in their payment technology decisions, highlighting how payment infrastructure has become fundamental to business expansion strategies.
• 51% of merchants are actively leveraging payment systems to create new revenue streams, monetise payment capabilities, and increase their appeal to customers.
• 49% of companies are exploring new payment methods like digital wallets, account-to-account payments, and BNPL to drive market penetration, particularly in cross-border commerce.

PXP’s research also examined the differing payment technology needs of merchants in the online-only eCommerce, bricks-and-mortar, and omnichannel segments, with key findings including:

• 34% are expanding their payment method offerings, while 20% are actively investing in international payment capabilities.
• 37% of traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses cite system stability as a critical factor, while 30% are prioritizing having one unified payment platform across all channels.
• 35% of omnichannel/hybrid businesses a focus on protecting customer transactions across all channels, and 29%  prioritize reliability and resilience during peak transaction periods when selecting a payment provider.

 These distinctions between different merchant segments highlight how payment technology strategies must be tailored to specific business models while maintaining а focus on core objectives such as data integration, reliability, and customer experience.

Kamran Hedjri, Group CEO of PXP, comments: “PXP’s exclusive research reveals that organisations across a range of sectors are no longer asking whether to invest in payment technology, but rather how to leverage it for maximum competitive advantage and best implementation results. Today’s merchants are discovering that modern payment systems can do far more than just process transactions – they can actively drive business expansion, foster innovation, and create much deeper and more intuitive connections with their customers.

“Our findings paint a clear picture: payment technology has moved from the back office to the boardroom, from a mere business function to a key strategic consideration in business growth planning. This shift represents a remarkable evolution in thinking, and payment providers must align with it to help merchants meet their customers’ expectations wherever they are. While organisations may differ in size, sector, and purpose, our survey reveals that what merchants need most from payment technology are security and trust, operational resilience, and scalability.”

PXP’s Rebrand and Vision for the Future:

As part of its next phase of growth, PXP unveils a bold new brand identity that reflects its mission to redefine commerce technology. The new identity embodies PXP’s commitment to unifying global payments through a single integration, creating a commerce ecosystem that makes business simpler, better, and more connected. This rebrand underscores PXP’s pivotal role in the payment and commerce ecosystem, providing everything a business needs within a single, AI-powered, future-proof platform.

To explore the full insights and industry trends, download the full report here.

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Mastercard Payment Passkey Service boosts the security and convenience of online transactions by using device-based biometrics, such as fingerprints and facial recognition already available on smartphones, to authenticate purchases. This replaces traditional authentication methods, such as one-time passwords (OTPs), which have become increasingly vulnerable to online scams like phishing, SIM swapping, and message interception. The service also leverages advanced tokenization technology to ensure that sensitive data is never shared with third parties and remains useless to fraudsters in the event of a data breach, making transactions even more secure.

James Stack, Head of Product at Yuno, commented:

“Mastercard Payment Passkey Service is a major leap forward in online transaction security. By leveraging advanced tokenization and biometric authentication, it significantly reduces the risk of fraud and protects sensitive data from cyber threats. As the leading provider of Mastercard Click to Pay technology in Latin America, we’re proud to offer merchants a solution that not only streamlines the checkout process but also ensures the highest level of security for both businesses and customers in a region where fraud has been a persistent challenge.”

Silvana Hernandez, Executive Vice President, Core Products, Mastercard, Latin America and the Caribbean, added:

“Mastercard is committed to bringing convenience and security to the payment experience. The enablement of Mastercard Payment Passkey through our partnership with Yuno is an important step towards the advancement of digital payments in Latin America and the Caribbean.” 

Mastercard Payment Passkey Service strengthens the company’s existing Click to Pay solution, which was introduced to Yuno-enabled merchants in November and seeks to make the checkout process simpler and more seamless for customers by removing the need for manual entry of card details. Functioning much like a digital wallet, Mastercard’s Click to Pay solution enables shoppers to pay with ease in just a single click. 

In addition to Mastercard Click to Pay with Passkey service, Yuno’s platform also offers merchants quick access to over 1000 different global payment methods, proprietary smart routing technology and end-to-end payment orchestration, rendering it a one-stop shop for all merchant’s payment needs. Supported by top tier global investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, and DST Global Partners, the company continues to expand rapidly across Europe, Asia, and the US.

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New research by Tink, a market-leading payment services and data enrichment platform, reveals how over 2,000 UK consumers and over 500 UK high-end merchants** are navigating economic challenges and evolving customer expectations at the higher end of the market.

According to Tink’s data, Gen Z and millennials are purchasing the largest share of luxury items – averaging 16 and 14 items per year, respectively – representing a significant market opportunity for high-end merchants. But with ongoing cost-of-living pressures, consumers are becoming more discerning with their purchases, opting for products that combine quality with ethical production.

Luxury is also about the buying experience, as well as the item itself, for 62% of Gen Z and 68% of millennials surveyed. A streamlined payments experience is a critical element of the shopping journey, and in response, 85% of merchants surveyed are now focused on delivering a seamless and secure payment experience.

Reputation and trust: key drivers for purchases

Around three-quarters (73%) of millennials and 64% of Gen Z surveyed want to invest more in quality purchases that will last. Sustainability also plays a key role in decision making, with the majority of Gen Z (63%) and millennials (62%) willing to pay more for ethically made items.

Three-quarters of both Gen Z (76%) and millennials (75%) are also willing to pay more for the reputation of the brand, reflecting the importance of trust – particularly in areas like payment security – in their purchasing decisions.

Lucy Grant, Tink Commercial Strategy Director, said: “Understanding the evolving preferences of Gen Z and millennial shoppers is key for merchants looking to stay ahead in the high ticket and luxury market. These high-value customers demand more than just a premium product, they expect an exceptional experience, from sustainability and quality, to seamless and secure payments.”

Payments: The foundation of a luxury experience

Tink’s data shows that for Gen Z (58%) and millennials (64%) who shop for high ticket and luxury goods, payment security is a top concern.

This apprehension translates into hesitation, with over half of Gen Z (56%) and millennials (52%) from the same cohort reluctant to make high-value online purchases due to a fear of payment failure and fraud.

In response, over two-thirds (68%) of high-end merchants plan to enhance their payment systems in the next year to meet these demands.

When shopping for high ticket and luxury goods, younger shoppers value transparency and security. Tink’s research shows that 36% of Gen Z and 42% of millennials want a payment method with no hidden fees, while 34% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials demand one that minimises fraud.

Lucy Grant continued: “Trust and brand reputation have never been more important for consumers when parting with their hard-earned cash, so it’s essential that merchants give shoppers peace of mind when it comes to making high-value purchases. By investing in modern payment solutions, such as Pay by Bank, high-end merchants can offer a secure, trusted checkout option – with authentication happening in the customer’s familiar bank environment.”

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This partnership underscores Woo’s confidence in Paymob as a trusted partner to provide tailored payment solutions that meet the unique needs of regional merchants. Through Paymob Checkout, merchants can now integrate over 50 global and local payment methods into their WooCommerce stores, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and regional alternatives. The solution is fully optimized for mobile, delivering a secure and seamless checkout experience with embedded 3D Secure and PCI compliance.

Merchants also benefit from fast payment processing, with next-day settlements (T+1) for most methods and instant settlements in select markets. Enhanced features, such as multi-currency support and retry options for failed transactions, drive higher payment success rates and improve customer satisfaction. The integration reflects Paymob’s leadership in delivering cutting-edge solutions to the region’s merchants.

Additionally, Paymob will soon be seamlessly integrated into Woo’s onboarding experience, streamlining the setup process for new merchants. This integration will simplify store activation and enable users to start accepting payments quickly and efficiently. 

The e-commerce market in MENA is projected to grow to USD 50 billion by 2025, driven by increasing smartphone penetration, a growing young population, and rising demand for digital payment solutions. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are at the forefront of this transformation, yet many still face challenges in accessing tools that can help them scale effectively.

Omar El Gammal, EVP of Global Business Development at Paymob stated “Our partnership with WooCommerce is a major step forward in our mission to enable regional SMEs with transformative digital tools. By embedding Paymob into WooCommerce’s ecosystem, we are creating a future where e-commerce growth is seamless and accessible to all.”

Web Griebel, GM, Payments at Woo commented: “We’re excited about strengthening our partnership with Paymob to offer merchants in MENA a streamlined solution that helps them securely scale their businesses.”

Karl Stjernstrom, VP of Global Alliances at Paymob added: “This integration with Woo reflects our focus on forging strategic alliances that drive innovation and unlock new growth opportunities for Paymob merchants in the MENA region and beyond.”

As Woo’s first preferred partner in MENA, Paymob’s direct integration into the WooCommerce Marketplace reaffirms its position as a leading enabler of digital commerce success for MENA’s SMEs. Launched in 2015, Paymob serves 390,000 merchants across the region with a comprehensive acceptance suite delivered via its gateway, POS terminals and Paymob app. 

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With this integration, Retail Realm’s merchants can easily set up a pay-by-link option, enabling their shoppers to complete the checkout process with a single click through SMS or email. Skipify automatically identifies shoppers and instantly surfaces their payment cards and financing options at checkout. Whether a physical point-of-sale or a remote purchase, shoppers enjoy the seamless transaction without the added security concerns of manual card entry or saved payment info.

“Retail Realm has been a trailblazer in bringing innovative solutions to the retail industry, with a trusted name and strong presence in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Commerce ecosystem,” said Ryth Martin, CEO at Skipify. “The future of checkout is identity-powered. Together, we’re helping merchants simplify payments, reduce friction, and solve long-standing challenges with authorization rates and checkout inefficiencies.”

“At Retail Realm, our focus has always been on offering choice to Microsoft merchants, empowering their businesses to operate more efficiently while enhancing customer convenience and loyalty,” said Rachel Smith, VP Global Sales at Retail Realm. “Skipify provides a convenient and secure payment method that virtually eliminates the need for customers to present or share their credit card details. By introducing Skipify’s Paylinks solution into our payment network, we’re enabling merchants to accept payments securely and seamlessly, reducing PCI scope and simplifying the transaction process for customers.”

Skipify’s Commerce Identity Cloud technology is built with direct integrations into the world’s largest and most widely-used card issuers and networks. This powerful approach delivers measurable results for merchants, including a 6% increase in approval rates, a 9% boost in conversion rates, and a 12% improvement in customer repurchase rates on average.

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Yuno-powered merchants can now effortlessly offer PayPal’s secure and flexible payment option, broadening their market reach and unlocking new revenue streams. Trusted by millions worldwide, PayPal allows users to make purchases, transfer funds, and pay bills in a fast, easy, and secure way, without the need to repeatedly enter card payment information, contributing to reducing digital footprint and providing the security users are looking for.

Including this partnership, Yuno now supports over 300 global payment methods via its intuitive, user-friendly interface, making it easy for merchants to scale quickly by offering the most popular and locally-relevant payment methods in each market. Yuno’s platform also provides access to other innovative features, including one-click checkout, advanced fraud protection, and optimized payment routing that boosts transaction success rates and prevents lost sales in the wake of outages at a payment provider.

Catherine Kaupert, Global Head of Partnerships of Yuno, commented: “We’re thrilled to team up with PayPal, a well-known and trusted name in digital payment processing globally. This integration further strengthens Yuno’s capabilities, allowing our merchants to tap into PayPal’s extensive network and drive growth with ease. Together, we are simplifying payments, making them more secure, and enabling businesses to scale without friction.”

Paola Fuentes, Head of Partnerships for Hispanic Latam at PayPal, added: “Our affiliation with Yuno integrates our entire product portfolio, including PayPal Checkout and credit and debit card payment processing to provide cutting-edge payment solutions for both customers and businesses. By joining forces, we are expanding the benefits of both companies’ offerings, giving consumers the option to select the payment method that suits them best and take advantage of Installments, which, according to recent data from AMVO, is one of the main incentives for Mexican consumers to make purchases through the digital channel”.

Last year, Yuno secured $25 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz, Tiger Global, DST Global Partners, Kaszek Ventures, and Monashees, fueling its expansion across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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The announcement comes at a transformative moment for the industry, with a comprehensive PXP survey conducted by leading polling firm Censuswide revealing strong merchant demand for digital transformation and unified commerce solutions. The research findings demonstrate how fundamentally merchants’ needs are evolving:

• 64% of merchants now view payment technology as a strategic growth driver, rather than just an operational necessity, signaling a major shift in how businesses view their payments infrastructure.
• Enterprises in particular recognize the transformative power of payments technology, with 74% of large businesses prioritizing capabilities like real-time business intelligence, intelligent payment routing, and AI-enhanced platform features as vital to their operations.
• When evaluating payment platforms, merchants prioritize robust security and fraud prevention (35%), followed by guaranteed reliability during peak periods (28%), and the ability to unify all payment channels and providers in a single platform (21%).
• Looking ahead, merchants see payments innovation as key to their future success, with 59% focused on creating unique payment experiences and 56% planning to pioneer new commerce models through smart payment tech.

PXP Unity is a cloud-native, scalable and integrated platform that’s built on AI-powered engineering practices, representing the next generation of unified global technology platforms. One of the most advanced platforms in the world and built entirely in-house from the ground up, PXP Unity integrates cutting-edge engineering, flexible service catalogue, advanced real-time data reporting, and streamlined payment processing to accelerate merchants’ time to value. 

Amongst its stand-out features is the platform’s ability to transform raw real-time transaction data into actionable insights, empowering merchants with intuitive dashboards that turn complex data into clear strategic direction, including important metrics such as transaction success rates, refusal patterns, payment methods, and scheme performance. Merchants can also drill down to specific parameters and granular insights, including direct connection to a data warehouse for deep and predictive analysis to inform future growth strategies.

PXP Unity also offers a level of self-service unrivalled by other platforms, enabling merchants to adapt the platform’s features to their own business blueprint, and control how and where each transaction flows. This granular control transforms complexity into strategic advantage, letting merchants design the perfect payment experience.

Backed by years of industry expertise, PXP’s platform sets new standards in commerce technology, with every feature and integration being precision-crafted and designed to streamline processes and unlock new growth opportunities. 

PXP Unity reflects PXP’s significant investment in both technology and business innovation and offers:

• A unified cloud-native global payments platform, processing payments across multiple channels, including online and in-store across a multitude of sectors including gaming, retail, hospitality and cruise, enabling merchants to meet customers at every touchpoint.
• Sleek, intuitive and mobile-responsive UI and UX across all merchant channels and devices, including real-time transaction data reporting and advanced analytics dashboard.
• Customisable reports and saved queries to meet specific business needs, providing actionable insights, scheduled reports, and direct access to real-time data points.
• AI-powered engineering practices to optimise development quality and speed
• Merchant control over transaction routing for cost, performance, or redundancy, ensuring every transaction takes the perfect path.
• Comprehensive service catalogue, enabling rapid innovation, instant scaling, and continuous evolution of features.
• Self-service options, enabling merchants to independently plug and play, configure and manage their payment services and processes, with intuitive interfaces that reduce reliance on manual support.
• Customisable webhook notifications to receive real-time updates about any event at any level, for any service.
• Freedom to select a single service and adopt it in isolation or combine several services together to build a holistic payments experience.
• Next-generation in-store (stand-alone and integrated POS as well as SoftPOS) and online technology.
• Scalable and robust infrastructure designed to handle high transaction volumes without compromising performance.

Not only does PXP Unity offer next-generation payment services and greater operational resilience, it simplifies commerce for merchants and businesses by removing friction to speed up integration, improve payment experience and give merchants more control over how their transactions flow.

Kamran Hedjri, Group CEO for PXP, comments: “In today’s fast-changing payment landscape, we know that merchants need even more dynamic and feature-rich payment platforms. PXP is breaking the boundaries of traditional commerce and technology, with architecture that transforms merchants’ payment processing and acceptance capabilities. The PXP Unity platform is where commerce is unified and amplified, and payments are reimagined to deliver the future of payments today. It is future-ready by design, empowering merchants with continuous service evolution and emerging technology innovation.”

Salvatore Cicero, Group CTO for PXP, added: “PXP Unity is more than just a platform; it is the culmination of relentless dedication, innovative engineering, and a vision to redefine global commerce. By bringing together cutting-edge technology, merchant-centric design, and a scalable infrastructure, PXP Unity empowers businesses to take full control of their payment processes. PXP Unity represents the intersection of advanced technology and practical solutions, delivering unmatched flexibility, actionable insights, and the agility to adapt to an ever-evolving payments landscape. It is a game-changer for merchants and a proud milestone for the entire PXP team.”

“With a single link, PXP Unity empowers merchants to customize their payment configurations without the friction and complexities of managing multiple integrations. Tested with selected merchants across various sectors, the feedback has been outstanding. Featuring speed, agility, and future-proof technology, the PXP Unity platform supports the entire business ecosystem beyond payments, ensuring seamless performance and more connected commerce.” 

“The launch of our new platform marks a pivotal moment for PXP, establishing a fresh business direction that sets a new standard in the payments landscape. PXP Unity embodies our vision to be the fintech partner of choice, revolutionizing global commerce with a steadfast commitment to continuous growth, innovation, and trusted expertise. As new innovations emerge, PXP Unity will stand alongside our merchants, creating value beyond every transaction. One partner, one link. We handle the rest.”

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When asked for opinions on the sustainability of specific payment providers, between 86% and 94% of respondents agreed that Ecommpay (90%) and five other named providers are sustainable, care about society and/or do good for society.

“Businesses have been increasingly prioritising their own sustainability for some time, and it is clear that this focus now extends to their partnerships,” commented Miranda McLean, Chief Marketing Officer of Ecommpay. “Payment partners are being chosen based on their sustainability and overall commitment to Equality, Sustainability and Governance. It is important that providers can demonstrate their ESG credentials to prospective clients.”

Payments Association data suggests that just 5% of payments businesses see ESG as a priority in the next 12 months, highlighting a significant gap between the priorities of payment providers and their clients.

“As part of our goal of reaching ultimate financial inclusivity, we have made significant commitment to increasing accessibility and equality for Ecommpay clients and their customers”, continued Miranda McLean. “Our payment solutions are inclusive and sustainable, and our new website has been designed with accessibility at its core. We are now calling for others in the industry to take similar action. Together we can ensure that affordable, convenient and flexible payments can be made accessible to everyone.”

Ecommpay has also committed to an ongoing inclusivity programme, Ecommpay for Good. The programme focuses on Ecommpay’s own inclusivity as well as providing businesses with critical support to improve accessibility of their own website, products and services to simultaneously benefit customers and their business. Offering mid-size and enterprise businesses the products and services to trade domestically and internationally, Ecommpay for Good goes to the heart of financial inclusivity.

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The event is a milestone for retail innovation in the Kingdom and across the region, and was attended by a distinguished audience of over 1,000 from across the retail ecosystem including government officials, retail leaders, tech enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs.

‘Total Commerce’ unites every aspect of modern retail into one seamless ecosystem, enabling merchants to sell across multiple channels and deliver products to customers effortlessly. A single dashboard enables businesses to manage e-commerce stores, social media sales, and physical outlets, gaining full visibility and control over their online and offline operations. It creates new opportunities for merchants to expand across local, regional and international markets.

Sultan AlAsmi, CEO and Co-founder of Zid, commented: 

“Total Commerce empowers every entrepreneur with the tools they need to thrive. By uniting operations, marketing and logistics; and simplifying and streamlining the entire retail ecosystem – we are setting a new standard for commerce in the region. Every solution we offer is designed to multiply the critical ‘moments of truth’ that drive business growth.”

Ripple 2024 underscored Zid’s pivotal role in shaping the future of retail. Merchant success stories demonstrated the tangible impact of Zid’s platform on business growth. With Saudi Arabia’s e-commerce market projected to reach SAR 82.5 billion by 2027, Zid’s ‘Total Commerce’ reaffirms the company’s role in leading this transformation.

Ripple 2024 showcased Zid’s AI-powered marketing dashboard where businesses can design, launch, and optimize targeted campaigns across major platforms. Zid’s integration with Snapchat gives merchants access to enterprise-grade tools that enhance engagement and sales. Additional integrations with TikTok Shop and Amazon Marketplace give merchants unprecedented, seamless access to global audiences.

Predictive analytics capabilities enabling merchants to anticipate market trends and refine their offerings were also introduced, further reflecting Zid’s commitment to equipping merchants with cutting-edge solutions for success in a competitive retail world.

Zid also unveiled its unified logistics dashboard. The tool simplifies inventory management, shipment tracking, and order fulfillment for local and cross-border sales. The enhanced features ensure seamless delivery experiences, help merchants consistently meet customer expectations and allow merchants to expand market reach without compromising efficiency. 

Mazen AlDarrab, Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Zid, added: 

“Ripple 2024 demonstrated how we are shattering the traditional barriers in commerce. When you give merchants the right tools, the right support, and the right ecosystem, they become unstoppable. This underlines our commitment to creating that environment where every entrepreneur can compete and win.”

With its robust suite of solutions and alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, Zid continues to redefine commerce, fostering a thriving ecosystem for merchants and consumers alike.

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