Study: Buyers across Baltics have high expectations for smoothness of payment process

TALLINN - Expectations for a convenient shopping experience have risen so high that an inconvenient or slow payment process can often lead to abandoned purchases, according to a 2025 study by financial technology platform Adyen.

Among the Baltic states, the situation is most acute in Estonia, where every second consumer says they will abandon a transaction if the payment process is not smooth.

The study reveals a clear trend: the convenience of the shopping experience directly influences purchasing decisions. The payment process is particularly critical for young people aged 16-19, more than half of whom will abandon a purchase due to slow or clunky payment experiences -- both online and in physical stores. A similar pattern is seen among older consumers, with over half of those in their 60s making the same decision. This shows that a seamless user experience is not just a digital generation standard, but a broader market expectation, Adyen said.

The responses from Estonia's Baltic neighbors reflect a similar, but somewhat less pronounced trend. In Latvia, 37 percent of consumers will abandon their purchase due to a time-consuming payment process, with this trend being most prevalent among people aged 70+. In Lithuania, 42 percent of retail customers will abandon their purchase in the same situation, with Lithuanian residents in their 60s being the most likely to do so.

The survey shows that flexibility and ease throughout the entire purchasing process have become decisive factors for consumers. For example, more than half of Estonian residents are more loyal to retailers that allow them to buy products online and return them to a physical store. This trend is particularly prevalent among young people under the age of 20, but also among customers in their 30s. Equally important is the freedom to use a payment method that suits them. Nearly two-thirds of consumers leave an online store's checkout if they cannot pay with their preferred bank link, credit card, or digital wallet, such as Apple Pay.

Tobias Lindh, head of Northern and Baltic markets at Adyen, said in a press release a smooth purchasing journey is no longer just a supporting function but a key factor in a businesses' competitiveness.

"Payment should never get in the way of a purchase. Even if everything else -- the product, the price, and the service -- works well, an inconvenient process can mean a lost customer," he said. "People want to choose when, where, and how they complete their purchase. If the buying experience is seamless, the customer has a reason to come back."

The survey also revealed that one in three retailers in Estonia already offer flexible purchasing and return options, such as the ability to complete a purchase in-store and have the product delivered to the customer's home. Another 20 percent of businesses plan to implement similar solutions within the next year. Overall, more than a quarter of merchants are investing in speeding up payment processing and focusing on making the entire purchasing experience faster and more intuitive.

The commerce study for Adyen was conducted by Censuswide by surveying 41,089 consumers aged 16 and over across 28 countries, with the samples selected to reflect national populations.

Adyen is a financial technology platform used by some of the world's leading companies. With offices around the globe, its clients include Bolt, Meta, Uber, H&M, eBay, and Microsoft.