Nearly Two-Thirds of Global Retailers Say Payment Method Flexibility Drives Revenue Growth, ACI Worldwide Survey Finds

With payments emerging as a battleground for driving revenue growth, global retailers are accelerating their multi-acquirer strategies to stay ahead, according to a new survey conducted by ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW) and Payments Dive. The report Unlocking Opportunity: How Payments are Powering Merchant Growth reveals that 97% of global retailers are already working with multiple acquirers, and that 96% of those using two or more acquirers report an increase in revenue. The research also highlights the surge in alternative payment methods (APMs), including real-time payments and cryptocurrencies, as well as the growing importance of AI.

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Key Findings at a Glance:

• Drivers for Multi-Acquiring Strategy: 53% of tier-one global retailers say the need for additional payment options is the top objective when adding additional acquirers, followed by expansion into new markets (51%) and improving authorisation rates (48%). 86% of retailers report cost savings from working with two or more acquirers.
• Global expansion demands localised payment strategies: 85% of retailers plan to enter new global markets within the next 12 months. To meet local expectations, 69% are adding local acquirers, and 58% are prioritising acquirers that support local payment methods.
• Rise in cryptocurrency: Crypto is gaining momentum among Millennials and Gen Z. 55% of retailers say cryptocurrency payments influence their choice of acquirer. The growing interest is driven by stablecoins, which offer lower transaction fees and faster settlement.
• APMs now mainstream: 83% of retailers ranked mobile wallets a top consideration when choosing new acquirers, followed by Account-to-Account payments (67%) and BNPL (57%).
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) use cases: 70% use AI in acquiring strategies, primarily for fraud detection (65%) and predictive analytics (63%).
• Payment Orchestration Platforms (POPs): 90% of retailers are using or planning to adopt POPs to streamline multi-acquirer management and enhance fraud prevention.

As retailers scale, managing multiple acquirers becomes increasingly complex. Payment Orchestration Platforms (POPs) provide a powerful solution by unifying acquirers, gateways, and payment methods through a single interface.