Online and in-app payments reach 55% of UAE payment volume

The research, The Great Indoors: How the “Couch” Is Redefining Consumer Spending Habits, found that online and in-app payments now account for 55% of domestic payment volume in the UAE, a significant increase from 35% in 2019. The findings point to a lasting shift in consumer preferences, where digital channels are becoming the primary way people access products, services and entertainment.

According to the research, the growth of the couch economy is being driven not only by wider digital adoption but also by changing consumer expectations. UAE residents are increasingly seeking convenience, speed and seamless experiences when making purchases, leading to greater use of mobile applications and online platforms for everyday transactions.

The research also highlights a sharp increase in the frequency of digital payments. In 2026, 25.7% of active UAE payment cards were used for ten or more online or in-app transactions each month, compared with just 4.5% in 2018. This puts the UAE on par with some of the world’s most advanced digital commerce markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom, where the equivalent figures stood at 25.4% and 27.8%, respectively.

One of the clearest examples of the trend can be seen in food delivery. What was once considered an occasional convenience has become a mainstream spending category for UAE consumers. The share of UAE payment cards used on food delivery applications rose from approximately 2% in 2018 to nearly 30% in 2026.

Visa noted that much of this growth came from everyday consumers rather than high-frequency spenders, indicating that app-based ordering has become a routine part of daily life for a broad segment of the population.

The shift towards home-centred consumption is also visible in entertainment spending. The research found that a higher proportion of UAE payment cards were linked to streaming and pay-TV subscriptions than to cinema and concert spending. This suggests that digital entertainment services continue to attract strong consumer engagement as households increasingly consume content from home.

Mohamed Bardastani, Visa’s Principal Economist for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said, “The rise of the couch economy reflects the UAE’s digital advancement and consumers’ growing expectations for convenience and seamless experiences. While technology has helped accelerate this trend, our research suggests that these expectations are increasingly shaping how consumers spend. As online and in-app payments become a bigger part of everyday life, digital payments are helping enable the convenient, connected commerce experiences consumers now expect.”

The research was based on anonymised VisaNet transaction data and examined spending patterns across six markets: Australia, Brazil, Poland, the UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States. Researchers analysed consumer engagement across digital commerce, subscription-based services, food delivery and other categories associated with home-focused spending. Domestic payment volume was defined as transactions conducted using domestically issued cards at domestic merchants.

The findings highlighst how digital commerce has evolved beyond a temporary behavioural shift to become a core component of consumer spending. As more services move online and mobile-first experiences become the norm, digital payments are increasingly serving as the foundation of everyday financial interactions.