Wirecard-commissioned study finds US businesses want a single digital platform, global expertise, and streamlined operations for e-commerce success

Aschheim (Munich)/Conshohocken, PA (ots) -

- Independent survey examined perceived opportunities and challenges
for US small to midsize businesses in the global online marketplace
- E-commerce decision makers see value in a single digital platform
and streamlining acquiring and payment providers to optimize
e-commerce strategies
- Wirecard is optimally positioned with its one-stop financial
commerce platform to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of
businesses in the US and globally

A new study commissioned by Wirecard and conducted by Forrester
Consulting[1] has identified the greatest opportunities and
challenges for small and midsize businesses in the United States, and
concluded that digital payment providers with global capabilities may
offer the most optimal strategies for merchants' e-commerce success.
E-commerce sales worldwide topped $1.9 trillion in 2016 and are set
to reach more than $4 trillion by 2020, representing about 15 percent
of global retail spend.

"In 2019, cross-border sales represent the greatest opportunities
and the greatest challenges for companies engaging in online retail.
Retailers need operational and technological capabilities that are
fully streamlined and can handle exponential growth in traffic and
transactions, thus helping them reach the global market with the
greatest ease and efficiency," said Deirdre Ives, Wirecard's Regional
Managing Director North America.

In late 2018, a commissioned study conducted by Forrester
Consulting on behalf of Wirecard asked 200 decision makers at midsize
US companies about their capabilities, goals, and challenges around
global e-commerce. Forrester uncovered several common priorities and
challenges:

- At least half of respondents' companies intend to increase their
current selling levels to four key markets: Europe, Asia,
Canada, and Central America

- 87% said cross-border growth is a critical or high priority over
the next two years

- At the same time, less than 1/3 of respondents expect their
current technology stack to completely meet their needs in 2020

In addition, researchers uncovered several key factors influencing
global e-commerce success, many around compliance, security, and
customer service. Additionally, nearly three quarters of companies
surveyed partner with at least three providers to satisfy their
cross-border e-commerce needs - and more than half of those have
encountered problems working with multiple providers. Nearly all said
that payment acceptance capabilities are critical to their global
e-commerce programs.

"While cross-border e-commerce is a low-investment route to tap
into opportunities abroad, it is no small feat. At minimum, companies
must adopt modern security capabilities and local payment methods and
adhere to local laws and regulations," the researchers wrote in their
study. "Success depends on access to strategic partners that can
connect them to global customers, support local payments with
value-added capabilities, and help them reduce operational complexity
and risk."

"These insights tell us that Wirecard has all the capabilities and
solutions that businesses value most in their journey to global
e-commerce," said Kevin Brown, Vice President of Marketing and
Strategic Partnerships, North America, at Wirecard. "We offer a
proven digital financial commerce platform, extensive global
regulatory expertise, a worldwide banking network, the capacity to
accept 27 currencies and counting, and unparalleled customer service.
We're very excited to work with all kinds and sizes of companies to
help them play on the world stage now and in the years to come."

[1: The Cross-Border E-Commerce Opportunity, a November 2018
commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of
Wirecard.]

About Wirecard:

Wirecard (GER:WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital
platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business
customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of
real-time value-added services built around innovative digital
payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem
concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction
banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate
enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard
operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets and
holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card
networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX
and TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on www.wirecard.com, follow
us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup.

Originaltext: Wirecard AG
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Wirecard AG
Jana Tilz
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