Blog
Aug 12, 2025
Let’s be honest: nobody enjoys standing in line while shopping. Even if you’re thrilled with your purchases, the wait can be frustrating. What is the analogy of lining up when you shop online? Exactly! A complex checkout process that takes forever.
Fortunately, we live through the financial revolution that provides businesses with superb payment methods that make checkout a matter of several clicks. With mobile wallets, traditional bank cards seem to be pushed aside. Indeed, being widely available, Apple Pay and Google Pay allow customers to skip the entering-card-info phase and make payments lightning fast. Better still, there’s no need to memorize those elusive CVV codes.
While the convenience of mobile wallets is undeniable, are they really leading the way in 2025?
What Does Statistics Say?
We, at TicketsCandy, were also curious about the real state of things. What did we do to shed light on the topic? We aggregated checkout logs from our ticketing platform and found out that 62% of event industry payments were processed via mobile wallets.
That figure is not that high to tell that credit cards are already in the past. Yet, it is high enough to state that mobile wallets are the growing trend in payments for e-commerce, retail, and event organisation industries in 2025 and further. This means businesses simply cannot ignore it.
Let’s take a closer look at different mobile wallets and the pros and cons of having them as a payment method, as well as how they reshape modern businesses.
Mobile Wallets: How Do They Work?
First things first. What is a mobile wallet? Think of it as an actual wallet that stores all your cards…credit, debit, and loyalty, but available on your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. Thus, all your cards are gathered in one digital environment and can be accessed through the app installed on your device.
To make the payment with a digital wallet work smoothly, a card number, expiry date, and CVV, as well as a billing address, should be added to the app. Once all is set, it is possible to use them in physical or online stores, as well as pay for services with their help.
How does it look from a technical side?
When a customer pays in-store, the mobile app leverages NFC technology to enable secure communication between devices. The NFC system processes the transaction using a QR code, digital key, or other personal identification method.
Why Mobile Wallets Are Ahead of the Curve?
Given the way mobile wallets work, they have several undeniable advantages that make them convenient in use and turn them into a go-to option for many customers.
Main Pros of Digital Wallets
Digital wallets combine speed, security, and convenience in one sleek solution that allows for the revolution in how people pay, shop, and manage their money. Let’s explore the key advantages that make digital wallets a smart choice for modern consumers.
Biometric Authentication
Face recognition and fingerprint scanning are a great solution that allows customers to be sure that nobody but them can have access to their payment information. Traditional bank cards do not have such a robust safety measure. As a bonus, there is no need to remember countless passwords or PINs.
Enhanced Security Protocols
Digital wallets, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, take data security seriously. It is obvious by looking at some of the protocols they have in place. Mainly, those are:
- The encryption: the data transmitted through a digital wallet is encrypted into unreadable code, accessible only to the wallet and the recipient. Even if intercepted, the information appears as a meaningless string of characters, so it is unlikely somebody will decipher it easily.
- Real-time fraud detection: Advanced algorithms closely monitor transactions for unusual activity. If they detect something suspicious, such as an unexpected location or purchase, they immediately send an alert to verify the user’s identity. Thus, the possibility of unauthorised access or fraud is minimal.
- Secure tokenization: When a payment is made, your actual card details remain hidden, as a secure token is generated. It is like a single-use ticket for one ride, so it has no value to cybercriminals, as they cannot use the received info about your transactions in any way.
That multilayer protection of digital wallets is a standout feature that convinces many customers to switch to one of those instead of traditional cards.
Hyper-Personalisation
For this part, being able to toss your cards in a wallet, sort them in a way that is convenient to you, or rename them for quicker card identification is just one side of personalization journey. Some wallets also analyze transactions, offer useful budgeting advice, and suggest possible options for making investments.
Some might find such personalization disturbing. However, provided insights offer value to customers, so they opt for mobile wallet payments each time for the sake of having all transaction history gathered in one place.
Cross-Border Transactions
Those who plan to go to a gig in another country would need a cross-border payment solution to buy event tickets at a low price. That’s where mobile wallets offer a double advantage. They are supported in hundreds of countries and work smoothly for international payments (like international ticket selling). Moreover, those payments are made with the lowest transactional fees.
Business owners who plan to expand globally would also benefit from the cross-border possibilities of digital wallets like Apple Pay. They have a ready-made solution for international payments that is rapid, accessible, and easy to use. With those in place, integration of local payments is not a priority, or sometimes, it can even be skipped.
It Is Not Without Cons, Though
Advantages of using mobile wallets are undeniable, but some disadvantages are also there. Security risks are still in place, as it is impossible to rule them out completely. Data breaches and fraud are possible if users don’t follow proper security measures.
Moreover, not all merchants support all types of digital wallets. Yes, if you opt for Apple Pay or Google Pay, it is unlikely that there will be any compatibility issues, but when Samsung Pay is used, widespread accessibility is not guaranteed.
Best Mobile Wallets to Add for Higher Checkout Rates
You cannot integrate all the popular digital wallets to make them available for checkout, so it is worth focusing on universal solutions that have the prevailing number of your targeted audience covered. What are those?
Apple Pay
Designed specifically for users of iOS, Apple Pay is a digital payment solution that allows contactless transactions in bank terminals equipped with NFC technology, as well as at online retailers and within various applications. Thus, it is suitable for both:
- In-person payments – that is, the case when this method functions as a conventional bank card equipped with NFC capabilities. Only an iPhone or an Apple Watch is used.
- Online payments – Apple Pay is accessed through a specially designed app that uses the API for seamless integration.
Convenience, speed, and security are some of the undeniable advantages that contribute to the rising popularity of this payment method in the US and beyond.
As for the disadvantages, those are not that different from mobile wallets designed for other operational systems – battery dependency and terminal limitations for the most part. Users of Apple Pay also report malfunctions and technical issues when an older iOS version is used for payments.
Google Pay
Google Pay, also known as Android Pay, is a mobile wallet tailored for all Android devices. The wallet application is downloaded from the app store. After the addition of at least one card, it can be successfully used. All credit and debit cards can be stored there for convenience, and a necessary one can be chosen by clicking on the “Cards” tab.
One of the main advantages that makes Google Pay so popular is that customers can use it anywhere where contactless payments are possible. That’s what in-person payment is concerned with. For online services and stores, integration is needed for customers to be able to use it. All data is secure, so there should be no safety issues. Yet, Google Pay is certainly the number one mobile wallet solution when it comes to accessibility. Speed and convenience are no worse.
Are there any flaws? As long as there is a stable Internet connection and modern software that allows smooth payment services that support contactless payments, there should not be any issues.
Why Have Both Apple Pay and Google Pay Integrated?
To have both iOS and Android users covered. There is no need to experience cart abandonment or decrease customer satisfaction because your business lacks flexibility in payments for either iPhone or Android smartphone users.
Any Worthy Alternatives?
By 2025, integrating Apple Pay and Google Pay into your service is no longer up for debate – it’s a must. But diversifying your payment solutions is still very much on the table. Is it worth doing to scale your business? Absolutely. Here are some smart options to consider.
Samsung Pay
Being a direct competitor to Apple Pay and Google Pay in the way it works, Samsung Pay might also be a good choice. Especially in markets where a significant share of payments are made using Galaxy devices. While Google Pay does serve Samsung users, offering Samsung Pay as an option could provide a more tailored experience. After all, why not give those users a little extra attention?
PayPal
While all the abovementioned options are suitable for both physical and online merchants and service providers, PayPal is a great option for those businesses that operate online. It is popular globally, and many customers use it for convenience. It allows the addition of different cards or direct PayPal account top-ups from bank accounts and ensures seamless payment processing.
Dwolla
Dwolla stands out as a top-tier digital wallet, known for its low transaction fees, seamless automation, and robust security features. The way it functions allows the service acts as an intermediary between banks and users. Thus, it is an ideal solution for integrating direct bank transfers into your business.
While PayPal is global, Dwolla should not be ignored if customers from the United States are your target audience. The service actively cooperates with many major US banks, including Bank of America and Silicon Valley Bank, which is an indicator of reliability.
How Mobile Wallet Preference Reshapes Business in 2025
Given the variety of options and their functionality, digital wallets leave traditional payment methods far behind. They make payments seamless, secure, and fast. To keep up with customer expectations, businesses should adapt and get flexible. Let’s take a closer look at the changes we currently have in e-commerce, the travelling sphere, and the event organisation industry.
E-Commerce: Frictionless Checkout and Global Reach
E-commerce is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of the mobile wallet revolution that is currently in progress. A simple integration of Apple Pay and Google Pay allowed businesses to:
- Decrease the cart abandonment rate, as the checkout process has become a matter of several clicks.
- Expand globally without fuss, as there is no need to integrate local payment methods.
- Enhance customer trust, as mobile wallets offer built-in security features like biometric authentication and tokenisation, reducing fraud and boosting confidence at checkout.
Keeping in mind the advantages mobile wallets bring and that they account for approximately 50% of global e-commerce transaction value nowadays, they are non-negotiable solutions for online stores and service providers.
Travel-Related Businesses: Seamless Bookings and Reward Ecosystems
Mobile wallets are reshaping the travel-related business by consolidating bookings, payments, and loyalty rewards into unified platforms. Travellers can book flights, hotels, and experiences with several clicks, while earning points across partner ecosystems.
Those businesses that have Apple and Google Pay integrated provide customers with increased efficiency of convenience of trip planning (meaning less headache), win their loyalty, and report better business growth.
Events Industry: Speed, Security, and Scalability for Ticket Selling
The event organisation and ticket-selling industry is undergoing a digital revolution, thanks to the seamless integration of mobile payment solutions like Google Pay and Apple Pay. These technologies eliminate friction at checkout, enabling faster, more secure transactions both online and in person. It is actually as simple as it sounds; the convenience and efficiency of mobile wallets can increase the conversion rate and make sure that tickets will be bought in a flash. This means less postponement, and as a result, less changing of heart.
Yes, spending a few extra minutes paying for a ticket with a credit card payment won’t discourage those eager to attend a specific event. However, such delays can easily turn away undecided or hesitant customers.
Boost Your Sales with TicketsCandy’s Seamless Checkout Solutions
TicketsCandy makes it easy to integrate the most popular mobile wallets and one-click payment options directly into your business. Providing these seamless payment solutions can dramatically increase your conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.
Ready to transform your ticket sales? Partner with TicketsCandy today and discover how effortless, secure payments can elevate your events to the next level.
Conclusion
Given their convenience, robust security features, and operational efficiency, mobile wallets are rapidly emerging as the preferred choice in online banking and e-commerce. This surge isn’t merely a passing trend, though, but the future, as the percentage of though who use Apple Pay and Google Pay at checkouts will continue to grow in the coming years. Given that, adoption of mobile wallets is not just a strategic move but a necessity for long-term success and sustained customer retention.
