What makes UAE the global hub for seamless payments

By Puja Sharma

A recent survey conducted by PYMNTS and Visa Cybersource has revealed that UAE shoppers continue to be the most mobile-centric and omnichannel consumers globally. The study, titled “The 2023 Global Shopping Index: UAE Edition,” focuses on consumer behavior and preferred payment methods to provide retailers with actionable insights to be successful in the UAE market.

The UAE consumers’ penchant for digital shopping is a truism that local merchants know well. Retailers in the UAE offer far more of the digital shopping features that consumers want. In fact, the UAE has the highest Global Digital Shopping Index (GDSI) score among all countries surveyed, indicating that local merchants offer seamless shopping and payment experiences.

The country’s eCommerce merchants scored 134, significantly higher than the average score of 125 across all countries. The UAE’s GDSI scores have also increased over time, with local merchants scoring 11% higher in 2022 than they did in 2021, thanks to rising consumer awareness of available features such as online purchases and price matching.

The survey, which involved 13,349 consumers and 3,124 merchants across Brazil, India, Mexico, UAE, United Kingdom, and United States, unearthed several key findings that highlight the unique characteristics of the UAE market.

Salima Gutieva, Vice President and UAE Country Manager – Visa, emphasized the importance of catering to the needs of mobile-centric shoppers. “We are thrilled to see the UAE emerging as a leading country where consumers embrace and utilize digital shopping features with utmost enthusiasm. With the highest global digital shopping index score, it is evident that local merchants have successfully crafted seamless shopping and payment experiences for their customers.”

Gutieva added: “The fact that 94% of adult UAE shoppers have incorporated at least one digital feature during their recent shopping journey highlights the strong digital adoption in the market. As we witness this growing trend, Visa remains committed to partnering with UAE merchants to optimize their offerings and continue meeting the evolving needs of tech-savvy consumers.”

Key findings:

Nearly twice as many UAE shoppers value payment choice than rewards or free shipping when selecting a merchant. 

• UAE shoppers value payment choice most when choosing a merchant, with nearly double the importance of rewards or free shipping. When asked to pick one option only, preferred payment methods, in particular, was the top preference for 11.4% of consumers in the UAE, followed by rewards (6.9%) and free shipping (6.6%).
• UAE consumers use more digital shopping features than consumers in any other country, with 94% having used at least one during their most recent shopping journey.
• Merchants’ investments in digital shopping features and local shoppers’ keen awareness of those offerings make for a powerful combination. UAE merchants’ broad array of digital shopping features, including those that consumers can use in-store, has helped provide their shoppers with the smoothest overall shopping experience of any country in our study.
• UAE has the highest Global Digital Shopping Index (GDSI) score, indicating seamless shopping and payment experiences.
• UAE shoppers utilize 13 digital features from the merchant they last purchased from, just behind India’s 16 and ahead of the U.S., the U.K., and Brazil.
• Preferred payment methods, rewards, and free shipping are vital features that UAE consumers desire from retailers, more so than consumers in most other countries.