Posted by Louise Prance on 2 March 2026
Transaction Network Services (TNS), a global leader in providing full-stack, modern and secure payment and network solutions, has announced new research from its Keeping Payments Simple: Exploring Consumer Demand for Seamless Payment Methods white paper, highlighting how consumers in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States view payment technologies across key sectors.
"Consumers worldwide are telling us the same story: make payments simple," said John Tait, TNS' Global Managing Director for its Payments Market business.
"The opportunity for retailers and across every sector is to embrace digital innovation while maintaining the reliability people trust. That balance is what builds confidence and loyalty."
Retail payment habits show strong generational divides. Self-service and unattended checkouts are appreciated for their speed and shorter queues, especially among younger consumers who see them as convenient.
However, frustration grows when systems fail or slow down, and more than one in five over-55s say they dislike or avoid self-service altogether. While physical cards remain the dominant payment method, digital wallets are steadily rising, particularly among younger consumers who value the speed and biometric security they offer. This generational divide means retailers must balance familiar, physical card-first experiences with reliable digital-first alternatives. The key challenge for retailers is balancing speed with flexibility while ensuring payment systems don't add friction.
Global findings
The Keeping Payments Simple: Exploring Consumer Demand for Seamless Payment Methods white paper, based on a survey of more than 3,000 consumers across Australia, the US and the UK, highlighting generational divides, regional differences and shifting expectations. While payment technologies continue to advance, the research shows consumers value reliability and straightforward processes above all else, a conclusion borne out by findings such as:
· Australia is the "in-person nation," with a strong preference for staffed checkouts.
· The UK is a "hybrid market," where physical cards dominate but digital wallets are rising fast among younger consumers.
· The US is the "fragmented market," with sharp generational and regional divides from heavy digital wallet use in cities like Austin and Las Vegas, to card-first preferences in the Midwest.
· Across all markets, younger consumers demand fast, reliable, digital-first experiences, while older demographics value stability and trust in cards and staffed checkouts.
For more information, visit: tnsi.com
