It’s not much of a surprise to learn younger people shop online. What’s more surprising is that these younger online shoppers prefer alternative payment options when they shop. Unlike their older counterparts, these customers want to use any number of different methods to pay for their online purchases.
If you’re running an online shop, you need to ask who you’re selling to. If the answer is younger online shoppers, then you might want to revisit the ways you process and accept payment to make sure you’re catering to their preferences.
Going Mobile
Smartphones have become a way of life, especially among younger demographics. The fact that the younger set is leading the way when it comes to adopting mobile shopping shouldn’t surprise anyone. Transactions made via a mobile device have grown over the past few years, and the numbers are projected to continue trending upward.
If your online shop isn’t equipped for mobile, it’s time to revamp it to improve the mobile experience. A quick and easy checkout makes mobile shopping enticing for consumers. Get them shopping and buying with a better mobile site.
E-Wallets
Most smartphones come equipped with a few apps for handling purchases. You simply set up an account, add your payment methods, and then you can pay virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime—all from your phone. So long as the merchant’s set up to accept the e-wallet app of your choice, you won’t have any trouble paying with your smartphone.
This is a favorite for younger shoppers who are less and less used to carrying around cash and physical cards. Instead, everything is loaded on their phone, which they take with them almost everywhere. Apple Pay is probably the most famous example, but other apps do exist. Offer your customers more choice by accepting e-wallets as a method of payment in your shop.
Pay Later
Until recently, most online shops worked on a pay-now basis. The customer put items in their cart, took it to the checkout, entered their payment information, and waited for approval. Once the payment cleared, the merchant would ship out the order or deliver the service.
Pay later is changing the face of e-commerce, and younger online shoppers are falling in love with it. It’s one of their favorite alternative payment options. Pay later lets you place your order, and then pay for the service or item later. You might send an invoice once the item is shipped, or the customer might pay upon delivery. However you go about it, it’s a great option to have in your online shop.
Credit Cards and Debit Cards
Some consumers consider credit cards their main form of payment, replacing cash. And people, including younger customers, love credit cards. If your online shop doesn’t accept credit card payment, you need to change the situation immediately.
While most consumers can work around a shop that doesn’t take credit card payment, by using pay later or e-wallet options, many of them want to pay you directly by credit card. They don’t want to use a third-party service. Instead, team up with a payment processing provider to start accepting online credit card payments today.
Why You Care about Younger Shoppers
Younger online shoppers prefer alternative payment options. But you might be thinking, “So what?” Maybe your customer base is a little older, or maybe you’re not interested in marketing to the younger crowd.
Many younger people help their parents and older relatives make online purchases, so you should care about their preferences, even if you don’ think they’re your target market. And even if younger online shoppers aren’t your primary demographic right now, there’s no harm in expanding your customer base to include different demographics. Alternative payment options are one easy way to entice younger shoppers to shop with you instead of your competition.
