The Irish ecommerce market has seen a lot of growth in recent years, and that trend is expected to continue. Even now, Irish consumers spend significantly more money online each year compared to the citizens of most other European countries.
I know how important it is for your business to accept the payment methods Irish customers prefer – it’s a surefire way to win some sales. In this article, I will guide you through all of the most popular payment options in Ireland.
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5 Top Payment Methods in Ireland
1. Credit and Debit Cards
According to data collected by JP Morgan, around 60% of all ecommerce transactions in Ireland are paid for with credit and debit cards.
A recent report from the Central Bank of Ireland points to a strong preference for debit cards versus credit cards. In November 2022, only around 10% of Irish customers paid for their online shopping with a credit card.
Visa and Mastercard are universally accepted throughout Ireland. The country also used to have its own Laser debit card which was phased out in 2014. American Express is not typically issued in Ireland (with some exceptions), so its acceptance rates are low.
2. Cash
Although the Irish tend to prefer digital payments, cash remains highly relevant in the country. Statista shows that cash accounts for around 20% of point of sale (POS) transactions in Ireland.
While other payment methods are on the rise, cash has seen a massive drop off in the last few years, dropping from 38% in 2019 to the 20% it sits at now.
3. Digital Wallets
Analytics firm JP Morgan reports that digital wallets are quickly growing in popularity across Ireland, with a compound annual growth rate of 15%. In 2020, payments made with e-wallets accounted for around 21% of all online shopping in Ireland.
The most popular digital wallets in Ireland include PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay. PayPal leads the charge. Android-powered smartphones are only slightly more common in Ireland than iOS-based Apple phones, meaning that the two wallets are going head to head.
4. Direct Debit
Direct debit payments amounted to a massive 156 billion euros over 157.7 million transactions in 2021. The Central Bank of Ireland notes that this is an 11.8% increase over the previous year.
This type of online payment is often used in paying for subscription-based services and bills. By using direct debit, customers agree to let a company take money from their bank account on a predetermined date.
5. Bank Transfers
Bank-to-bank transfers make up around 9% of all online shopping transactions in Ireland. Irish citizens have a growing interest in shopping worldwide. This contributes to the popularity of payment methods such as the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area), which can be used throughout the European Union.
SEPA is not the fastest payment method for you as the merchant, but it allows your Irish customers to pay for your products and services even if you’re not based in the same country. Payments can take up to 14 days to arrive. SEPA also has a Direct Debit option to set up recurring payments.
The Best Way to Accept Global Payments
Your business can reliably accept global payments by signing up with Pay.com.
Pay.com gives your customers access to the most popular payment methods in Ireland, including Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. You can use one of our user-friendly checkout pages or dive deeper into our advanced developer APIs to seamlessly integrate Pay.com with your website.
Using the Pay Dashboard, you can quickly add and remove payment methods to suit the current needs of your business. You can also gain a lot of insight into customer transactions and adapt your chosen payment options based on that.
Pay.com prioritizes security above everything else. We support 3D Secure 2.0 (3DS2) in order to protect you from fraudulent payments. With an extra layer of authentication, your business will be safe and ready to grow with the added revenue from your Irish customers.
Click here to create your Pay.com account now!
The Bottom Line
If you’re hoping to expand your operations into that part of Europe, you’re in luck – the citizens of Ireland definitely enjoy online shopping. Accepting the most popular payment methods in Ireland can increase your chances of success.
The most widely recognized paymen\t methods in Ireland include credit and debit cards, PayPal, and other digital wallets. Your business can accept all of them if you sign up with Pay.com.
We offer transparent transaction fees, extra layers of security for both you and your customers, and a complete overview of your transactions.