Globally, 37 per cent currently accept real-time payments (RTP) and a large share (42 per cent) of the rest are likely to implement RTP going ahead
On the back of minimising fraud risks and processing costs, global ecommerce merchants are rapidly embracing real-time payments (RTP), as per a report. Globally, 37 per cent currently accept RTPs and a large share (42 per cent) of the rest are likely to implement RTP going ahead.
The 2025 global ecommerce payments and fraud report by Visa noted that among merchants currently accepting RTP, around 80 per cent saw a marked increase in the use of this method by their customers over the past year, and around 90 per cent expect a similar uptick next year.
While transaction volumes are growing rapidly, order rejection rates declined significantly from 5.8 per cent to 5 per cent globally. Fraud rate by order also dipped, falling from 3.4 per cent to 3 per cent overall. The report added that while fraud rates are down across the board, reversing a multi-year trend of increasing incidence, 98 per cent of merchants reported experiencing one or more types of fraud in the past 12 months.
Merchants continue to accept a handful of different payment methods, with the majority taking cards, eWallets, and debit transfers. Over one-third also accept mcommerce, RTP and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) payments. The report pointed out that 90 per cent of merchants have preferred payment methods they encourage ecommerce customers to use, typically through promotions and incentives at checkout.
The report emphasised that third-party marketplaces remain key sales and acceptance partners, especially for midsize merchants. While Amazon is used widely in all regions, use of other marketplaces varies dramatically by geography. Merchants also use multiple (usually three to four) payment gateways and acquiring banks, both for overall flexibility and to maximise authorizations, it noted.
