Marqeta Study

UK Consumers Embracing Embedded Finance As New Payment Solutions Reach Mainstream Adoption

Embedded finance has become increasingly mainstream in the UK, with consumers craving convenience in ever-greater numbers when it comes to payments, according to a new study from Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ), the global modern card issuing platform. The company’s 2023 State of Payments report released today - surveying 4,000 consumers across three continents, including 1,000 in the UK - reveals how consumers are no longer treating embedded finance and digital financial services as a novelty, but are instead embracing the value that they can bring to their lives.

The digital technology blending both the physical and virtual worlds is changing everything from how people interact with one another to the businesses consumers frequent, but nowhere is the pace of change currently so rapid as in the world of financial services. One way businesses, banks, and fintechs are meeting changing consumer financial demands is through embedded finance with capabilities such as in-app payments or buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services being integrated into the purchasing experience.

Marqeta’s 2023 State of Payments report, an annual survey of consumers about their purchase preferences, shows the confidence that consumers have in new digital payment technology and embedded finance. The study reveals that 72% of UK mobile wallet users surveyed have made a purchase via a retailer’s embedded mobile app owing to the enhanced experience. Almost three-quarters (73%) of UK mobile wallet users surveyed went on to share that they would feel confident enough to leave their wallet at home, and only rely on their phone for making payments.

Confidence extends to digital payment processes with 76% of UK respondents stating that they will always add a new card to their mobile wallet, and 89% believing this to be a “simple” process, up from 81% in 2022. As a result, 93% of UK mobile wallet users surveyed reported having one or more cards loaded into their mobile wallet. Beyond this, mobile payment methods continued to rise in popularity as convenient, frictionless payments took precedence:

• 73% of UK consumers surveyed reported using peer-to-peer (P2P) payment transactions at least once
• 95% of UK consumers surveyed reported using contactless payments in the past 12 months
• 68% of UK consumers surveyed reported using a mobile wallet in the last 12 months
• 65% of UK consumers surveyed believe cash will disappear completely, with a further 44% believing this will happen within the next 10 years.

“Embedded finance is enabling brands to become financial service providers, offering consumers more streamlined payment experiences,” said Jeff Parker, SVP and Managing Director, International at Marqeta. “What our report shows is that after years of massive digital innovation, consumer confidence in modern, embedded payment methods is high and companies who don’t offer these can miss out on future adoption.”