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Austria is a newer ecommerce market that is expected to grow in the coming years. Austrians have a high willingness for cross-border shopping, with 83% of online shoppers having bought something from outside the country. This makes it a great market to expand your business.
To be successful when selling in Austria, it’s essential to keep in mind the most commonly preferred payment methods. Offering these helps provide a smooth checkout process and increase customer retention.
We’ve rounded up the top five payment methods to help you get off on the right foot.
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5 Top Payment Methods in Austria
1. Card Payments
Card Payments – both credit and debit – are the most popular payment method for online shopping in Austria. They make up 35% of all online payments, according to a report by JP Morgan. While they are used less frequently in person, they are still a vital payment method for any merchant to accept.
Similar to other European countries, Austrians prefer debit cards to credit cards. There 1.12 debit cards per capita, while only 0.39 credit cards per capita. Mastercard makes up 80% of the card market share in Austria, with Visa taking 18%, American Express taking 1%, and other cards making up the remaining percent.
2. Bank Transfers
Bank transfers are another popular payment method in Austria. Statista reports that bank transfers account for 32% of all online transactions in Austria, either through payment upon purchase or through invoicing – payment upon receipt of product.
The most widely used system is the Electronic Payment System (EPS), which enables customers to make payments online directly from their bank accounts. It is offered by more than 80% of merchants in Austria.
Other bank transfer services apps like Trustly and Sofort are also used in Austria, but much less frequently.
3. Digital Wallets
Digital wallets are one of the fastest growing payment methods in Austria, particular for online transactions. JP Morgan reports that digital wallets make up roughly 25% of all online transactions.
The most commonly used digital wallet is PayPal. In a 2022 survey completed by Statista, 84% of the nearly 1,200 respondents used PayPal to make an online purchase within the last 12 months.
Other digital wallets used in Austria include Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Skrill, and Google Pay. Digital wallets are especially popular for cross-border transactions, mainly due to their convenience, ease of use, and security features.
4. Cash
Despite the growing reliance on digital payment methods, cash is still one of the most used payment methods in Austria. Statista reports that in 2021, cash made up 47% of all in-person transactions. This is mainly due to its convenience, especially when making smaller purchases in store.
While it is mostly used in stores, cash on delivery still comprises 4% of all ecommerce transactions, according to JP Morgan. This is expected to fall further over the next decade as merchants encourage alternative digital payments.
5. Buy Now, Pay Later
Like many countries, use of buy now, pay later (BNPL) services is rapidly increasing in Austria. While it still only makes up a small portion of overall transactions, it's becoming more frequent for online purchases.
Austrian customers appreciate the ability to split large purchases, without the need for credit cards and the associated high interest rates. For merchants, offering BNPL services at checkout does incur additional fees. However, it can make customers more likely to make larger purchases from your store.
The most common BNPL services in Austria are Klarna and Ratepay. A 2022 Statista study of nearly 1,200 people reported that nearly 60% of respondents used Klarna to make an online purchase in the last year.
The Best Way to Accept Global Payments
Pay.com is the best option for accepting payments from around the globe. With support for a variety of payment methods, including local payment methods, it's easy to offer your customers the payment options they prefer.
You can customize your checkout page to fit your specific needs, either by using our simple no-code solutions or advanced API integration tools. This flexibility allows you to create a seamless payment experience for your customers.
At Pay.com, we prioritize security, which is why we offer 3D Secure 2.0 multi-factor authentication to help reduce fraudulent activity on credit card transactions. Additionally, our tokenization technology ensures payment data is protected throughout every transaction, protecting you and your customers from costly data breaches.
We understand that transparency is important to you, which is why we offer a flat-fee per-transaction payment structure with no hidden fees. This easy-to-understand payment structure allows you to anticipate your monthly bill and avoid any surprises.
Click here to get started with Pay.com now!
The Bottom Line
Austria is a growing ecommerce market that is perfect for merchants looking to expand. With high rates of internet connectivity and a willingness to shop cross-border, Austrians are perfect customers to sell to.
However, as with any business, you’ll want to ensure top levels of customer satisfaction. One way to do that is by implementing all the most popular payment methods in the country. From debit and credit cards to Klarna, PayPal, and bank transfers, it’s crucial to offer methods that Austrians most prefer.
There is no better way to do that than with Pay.com. As a full-service payment provider, we offer a range of payment methods to fit your specific business needs. Additionally, Pay.com is perfect for global payments, with the highest level of PCI DSS security and 3D Secure 2.0 card authentication features – to keep you and your customers safe, no matter where they are.
