Paysafe’s recent ‘Inside the Wallet: Holiday Edition’ report indicates a significant shift in consumer holiday traditions, revealing a growing preference for gifting and receiving experiences over physical items, alongside increased demand for flexible payment options, including digital wallets and robust transactional security. Global consumer research from Paysafe, a leading payments platform, surveyed 8,500 consumers across the U.
S., Brazil, the U.
K., Germany, Canada, Bulgaria, and Ecuador for its ‘Inside the Wallet: Holiday Edition’ report. The findings suggest strong demand for travel during the holidays and a growing appetite for omnichannel retail and social media shopping, while support for small and local businesses remains high. The research indicates that approximately half of consumers (49%) prefer gifting experiences such as food, drink, travel, concerts, and live entertainment, rather than physical items, with 50% expressing a desire to receive an experience themselves. Digital options are prominent for gaming gifts, as 64% of respondents agree that gift cards, like PaysafeCard, are the most convenient way to treat a gamer. Holiday travel plans are robust, with 44% of global consumers planning to travel, including 16% internationally, signaling a return to seasonal mobility. A busy sports schedule is also driving interest in online sports wagering, with almost a quarter (23%) of consumers planning to place a bet. Soccer is the dominant sport worldwide (68%), while American football leads in the U.
S. (60%), and ice hockey is most popular in Canada (53%). Regarding shopping habits, 47% of consumers plan to shop well ahead of the season, and 20% intend to shop during the Black Friday weekend. Payment preferences are evolving; while debit cards (46%) and credit cards (37%) remain the primary methods for festive shopping, digital wallets (27%) and cash or eCash (27%) have gained traction, alongside local payment methods (LPMs) at 10%. Consumers are also embracing omnichannel retail experiences, with 34% splitting purchases between online and in-store. While online marketplaces are popular (19%), niche channels like social media are increasingly used by younger demographics such as Gen Z (11%). Support for small businesses and independent retailers remains strong, with 69% of global consumers planning to buy from them. At checkout, convenience and security are crucial. The report found that 49% of consumers have abandoned a cart because their preferred payment method was unavailable, and 46% did so due to concerns about the safety of their financial information. Rob Gatto, Chief Revenue Officer at Paysafe, stated, “The holidays are shifting from shopping lists to memorable experiences. From gifting a dream trip to the latest game, shoppers want every moment, from payment choice to enjoyment, to be seamless, secure, and meaningful.” The ‘Inside the Wallet: Holiday Edition’ report is based on an online survey conducted on behalf of Paysafe by Sapio Research in September 2025. It examined holiday shopping, payment preferences, and the experience economy among online shoppers. Paysafe, a payments platform with 29 years of experience, provides payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions, connecting businesses and consumers across 260 payment types in 48 currencies, with an annualized transactional volume of $152 billion in 2024.
