Checkout woes costing retailers in Oman; eCommerce faces bottleneck

By Puja Sharma

Online Shopping Woman used Computer laptop searching Shop on eCommerce Website and using Smartphone to payment on Digital Payment online gateway by Credit card.

Despite widespread adoption of eCommerce in Oman, opportunity remains for retailers to enhance the checkout experience and increase customer satisfaction

• The need to manually enter card details and security concerns are major pain points for consumers shopping online, resulting in lost revenue for businesses
• 60% of respondents trust biometric authentication more than traditional methods such as passwords and OTPs

Visa, a global digital payments firm, announced the findings of its “Checkout Friction Report“, which highlights strong consumer demand for a more secure and seamless eCommerce experience. Despite the widespread adoption of eCommerce and significant progress in growing Oman’s digital economy, opportunities remain for retailers to enhance the checkout experience and increase customer satisfaction.

The research is based on a survey of 2,016 online shoppers across the GCC, including Oman, and explored their experiences with eCommerce purchases. It examined common pain points during the checkout process that affect both consumer satisfaction and business outcomes.

Checkout Challenges Undermine the Rise of Frequent Online Shopping 

Visa’s “Checkout Friction Report” shows that one in three respondents (32%) in Oman shops multiple times a week for groceries. For categories such as fashion, entertainment, and electronics, shopping frequency ranges from once to a few times a month.

According to 48% of respondents, the biggest frustrations with eCommerce checkouts are security concerns, followed by the hassle of entering card details manually (42%). By addressing these challenges, retailers can enhance the checkout experience which could lead to increased customer satisfaction.

“Today’s consumers expect – and deserve – a more seamless and secure checkout experience. That’s why Visa is working with partners to enable solutions like Click to Pay, which leverages biometrics and tokenization to eliminate key pain points and deliver a more convenient shopping experience. Improving these moments not only drives a better consumer experience but also builds on the Oman government’s achievements in building a seamless, secure digital economy,” said  Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Regional General Manager for KSA, Oman and Bahrain.

Oman Online Shoppers Prioritise Safety

Beyond the inconvenience of checkout, security remains a top priority for online shoppers. According to Visa’s research, 72% of consumers surveyed are worried about the risk of fraud, while 59% expressed concerns about hacking when storing their card details on multiple websites. Additionally, one in three (32%) respondents has experienced fraud or security breaches.

Biometrics and One-Click Checkouts for Better Online Payment Experience 

Visa’s “Checkout Friction Report” also reveals a strong preference for a more streamlined checkout, with 64% of respondents supporting a single registration process for online payments across all participating merchants. When the option of biometric authentication was proposed, two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they would use it to check out, with 60% trusting biometric authentication (fingerprint/face ID) more than traditional payment methods (passwords/OTP).

Most respondents (70%) would shop online more frequently and be more likely to complete their purchases with a one-click checkout option. Almost two-thirds of the surveyed consumers (66%) show a high likelihood of using “Click to Pay with Biometrics’’ if offered by online retailers.

“Challenges in the online checkout process have direct implications for businesses, resulting in lost revenue, and hampering both customer acquisition and retention. For businesses, the demand for simpler and safer checkout options is clear,” said Nasser Bdeir, Visa’s Country Manager for Oman.

Visa Click to Pay streamlines online shopping by providing advanced checkout experiences, eliminating the need to manually enter card details, thereby making transactions significantly faster.  At participating eCommerce platforms, consumers can simply click the Click to Pay button to complete their purchase quickly and easily using their preferred Visa card and shipping address. Visa’s Click to Pay relies on biometric authentication available on the consumer’s device and does not require transfer of biometric data.