Expand your reach to the UK
How shoppers in the UK like to purchase and pay online, cross-border.
Get inside the minds of shoppers in the UK. Find out what they’re buying, where they’re shopping, and how they prefer to pay, so you can give them exactly what they want. Download the eGuide to get practical steps on how to expand your payments to the UK. Or, scroll down to view the insights.
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US$189 billion
The UK eCommerce industry is set to grow by 46% to reach US$189 billion by 2029, up from US$130 billion in 2024.1
We partnered with Statista to survey 1,000 online shoppers across the UK to find out about their cross-border purchasing preferences and habits. Here’s what we found out:
The good news for international sellers
of shoppers in the UK are comfortable
buying a product from another country.
Percentage of shoppers comfortable with buying a product from another country:
Gen Z and
Millennials
Gen X
Baby
Boomers
Total
94%
85%
90%
89%
25%
50%
75%
100%
0%
The who, what, where, and when of UK shopping habits
Shopping habits vary by gender
Men are more likely to buy electronics (66%), while women lead in skincare and beauty (54%) and fashion (71%). Fashion, books and games, and home goods remain popular across the board, with younger Gen Z and Millennial shoppers driving demand for luxury items. If you sell in these categories, tailoring your messaging and checkout experience to different demographics can help boost conversions.
Top online purchase categories by gender
80%
40%
60%
20%
Male
Female
Total
Fashion and
apparel
Books and games
Electronics
Skincare and beauty products
Home and
furniture
Food and beverages
Luxury
products
0%
80% of shoppers in the UK choose platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy for international purchases. Direct purchases from merchant websites make up 18%, while social media remains a minor player at just 2%. Despite its growing influence in other markets, social commerce has yet to gain significant traction among shoppers in the UK.
Where shoppers in the UK typically make cross-border purchases
Marketplaces dominate cross-border shopping
18%
2%
80%
of Gen Z and Millennials plan purchases around key holiday moments.
Shopping with the seasons
Shoppers in the UK love a good deal and plan their spending around major sales events like Black Friday, Boxing Day, Valentine’s Day, Cyber Monday, and New Year’s Sales. If you’re not showing up during these moments, you’re missing out.
83%
They expect transparent pricing in GBP, a smooth experience, and to be able to pay via their preferred methods.
Shoppers in the UK have high expectations at checkout
Younger shoppers want more
of Gen Z and Millennials say influencer recommendations impact their buying decisions, compared to just 24% of older generations.
of younger shoppers consider the availability of buy now, pay later (BNPL) options essential for shopping from international merchants.
57%
63%
Discover common challenges and smart strategies to build a checkout experience that converts.
Cross-border payments:
How to expand to the UK
Credit cards still dominate UK online payments, with 57% of shoppers using them for international purchases.
But habits are changing. Younger Gen Z and Millennial shoppers prefer digital payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay and debit cards (58%) over credit cards (45%). Buy now, pay later (BNPL) methods like Klarna and Afterpay are also on the rise, with 28% of younger shoppers choosing them at checkout.
Digital payment methods are growing in popularity
Preferred payment methods when buying online from another country
80%
40%
60%
20%
Gen Z and Millennials
Total
Gen X
Baby Boomers
Credit card
Debit card
Bank transfer
Digital payment methods
(e.g. Google Pay)
Buy now,
pay later options
(e.g. Klarna)
0%
Fashion, electronics, and home goods are the top categories where shoppers use BNPL. Luxury shoppers lean even further into it, with 31% using BNPL compared to 20% across other categories. This makes BNPL an essential payment method to offer in these spaces.
of Gen Z and Millennials agree that the availability of BNPL as a payment method encourages them to make purchases they would not have made otherwise.
of Gen Z and Millennials would shop elsewhere if BNPL weren’t available as a payment method at checkout.
The rise of buy now, pay later (BNPL)
53%
44%
Shoppers in the UK expect to see prices in GBP. 57% of older generations are unlikely to buy if pricing is shown in a foreign currency.
Pricing in GBP is a must
A familiar checkout experience remains key for shoppers in the UK
96%
92%
say that pricing in GBP and being able to pay via their preferred payment methods are the most important aspects of the checkout experience.
of Gen Z and Millennials rate mobile-friendliness of the checkout experience as important, compared to just 67% of Baby Boomers.
Download the eGuide to learn:
Your next cross-border opportunity could be just around the corner. Find out why payments are the lynchpin of your expansion strategy, and how you can start making and receiving payments like a local in the UK.
Ready to expand your reach to the UK?
1
How to open a business account without having to set up an entity in the UK
3
How to settle payments in your preferred currency, including GBP
2
How to accept payments via multiple payment options in local GBP
4
How to save on FX fees and stay secure and compliant with local UK regulations
Airwallex partnered with Statista to survey 1,000 cross-border eCommerce shoppers, defined as anyone who has shopped internationally in the last 12 months through any type of online shop, such as marketplaces or directly from a merchant’s website. All respondents were based in the UK and completed the survey in January 2025. Our goal was to understand how shoppers in the UK purchase online when buying from another country. Our survey participants come from diverse backgrounds and age ranges, representing a typical sample of shoppers within the UK.
In our insights:
Gen Z refers to those born between 1997–2012
Millennials refer to those born between 1981–1996
Gen X refers to those born between 1965–1980
Baby Boomers refer to those born between 1946–1964
About the research
eCommerce platform marketplaces
Merchant websites
Social media
57%
42%
7%
43%
16%
45%
58%
17%
58%
28%
58%
40%
3%
43%
15%
66%
31%
3%
31%
7%
65%
54%
53%
42%
41%
31%
22%
71%
53%
41%
54%
45%
30%
20%
59%
54%
66%
31%
37%
31%
23%
Expand your reach
to the US
Cross-border payment trends: How shoppers in the US like to purchase and pay online
Or download the eGuide to get practical steps to set up payments, cut foreign exchange (FX) costs, stay compliant, and keep cash flow healthy.
Get inside the minds of US shoppers. Find out how they’re buying cross-border, online: what they’re buying, where they’re shopping, and how they prefer to pay, so you can give them exactly what they want.
Download the eGuide
↓ Explore the insights
¹ e-Commerce - Worldwide, Statista, accessed 17 February 2025
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We partnered with Statista to survey 1,000 shoppers across the US to find out about their cross-border online purchasing preferences and habits. Here’s what we found out:
80%
eCommerce platform marketplaces
18%
Merchant websites
2%
Social media
80%
eCommerce platforms or marketplaces
18%
Merchant websites
2%
Social media
57%
42%
7%
43%
16%
15%
43%
3%
40%
58%
28%
58%
17%
58%
45%
7%
31%
3%
31%
66%
Trust badges and certificates at payment
Local currency pricing
Faster shipping
Positive customer reviews and ratings
Improved return policies
Preferred payment options
Transparent fees
Affordable shipping
Trust badges and certificates at payment
Local currency pricing
Faster shipping
Positive customer reviews and ratings
Improved return policies
Preferred payment options
Transparent fees
Affordable shipping
Digital payment methods refer to global eWallets (e.g. Apple Pay and Google Pay) and any further country-specific digital payment methods (e.g. Trustly, GrabPay, and Alipay). They exclude credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options.