Cross-border payments checklist: How to expand your eCommerce business globally
Shoppers expect payments to be fast, familiar, and secure. According to our recent research with Statista, 94% of shoppers globally indicate that transparent pricing and the ability to pay via their preferred payment methods, such as credit cards and digital wallets, are the most important aspects of the checkout experience.
Can your current setup support a smooth expansion into the global eCommerce market, allowing you to make and receive payments anywhere, just like a local? Use this checklist to assess your current capabilities and identify areas of improvement.
1. Ensure that your payment provider adheres to global and local regulatory compliance, including:
✅ The necessary global licenses and permits to process cross-border payments.
✅ International compliance standards like Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Service Organization Control 2 (SOC 2) to protect financial data and customer transactions.
✅ Integrations that sync with your accounting software to simplify tax filing and reporting.
2. Make and receive payments like a local business
✅ Make and receive payments in local currencies, such as by using a multi-currency account.
✅ Settle and hold funds in local currencies to avoid having to pay for unnecessary foreign exchange (FX) conversions and transfer fees.
3. Localize the checkout experience
✅ Display prices in local currencies to prevent confusion that can arise from paying in a foreign currency.
✅ Offer local payment methods, such as digital wallets (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay, WeChat Pay), buy now, pay later (BNPL) options (e.g., Klarna, Afterpay), and major card schemes. Explore the 160+ local payment methods available with Airwallex.
4. Save on payment processing costs
✅ Choose a provider that gives you access to competitive foreign exchange (FX) rates.
✅ Eliminate unnecessary FX conversions by settling payments in the same currency that customers pay in. Access funds without having to open local bank accounts in each settlement currency.
5. Optimize payment success
✅ Partner with a provider that utilizes advanced machine learning tools, such as optimized messaging and smart retries, to minimize technical declines and enhance payment acceptance rates.
✅ Use AI-driven fraud detection tools and features (e.g., 3D Secure authentication) to analyze transaction patterns and block suspicious activity in real time, without disrupting legitimate payments.
6. Build trust with secure payment experiences
✅ Check that your provider implements advanced security measures, such as encryption and tokenization, to keep customer information safe during transmission and storage.
7. Optimize cash flow
✅ Get real-time financial insights on a single dashboard for better visibility and control.
✅ Automate reconciliation using integrations with popular accounting software, such as Xero and QuickBooks.
Start making and receiving payments like a local with Airwallex
The first step to making and receiving payments like a local is opening an account on Airwallex – no trip to the bank or complicated paperwork needed. Combined with our payment solutions, you can boost your checkout experience. Create, share, and customize no-code Payment Links, or use our plug-and-play integrations to expand your breadth of payment methods on platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and more. Alternatively, embed a low-code checkout solution on your website or customize your own solution with our Payment APIs.
With just one integration, you can expand globally, securely, and cost-efficiently:
Accept payments in 180+ countries via major card schemes and 160+ local payment methods
Save on FX fees with like-for-like settlement into multi-currency accounts
Access 60+ trade currencies at interbank rates and save up to 80% on FX fees
Drive conversion uplift with AI-powered optimization while reducing fraud and payment costs.
Join the 150,000+ businesses that trust Airwallex to process over $100 billion in global payments annually.
Ready to expand your global reach?
Simplify cross-border payments
Appendix: Preferred payment methods when buying online from another country
We partnered with Statista and surveyed 13,000 cross-border shoppers around the world to find out how they like to pay when they shop online, cross-border. Below, you’ll find the payment preferences of shoppers in different markets. Offering diverse local payment methods can help you expand your customer base and sell globally with confidence.
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in Europe
Ranking | Payment method | Total | France | Germany | The Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PayPal | 58% | 57% | 76% | 42% |
2 | Visa | 32% | 55% | 25% | 17% |
3 | Mastercard | 27% | 33% | 21% | 27% |
4 | iDEAL (displayed in the Netherlands) | 25% | - | - | 75% |
5 | Klarna | 23% | 7% | 34% | 28% |
6 | Apple Pay | 9% | 7% | 10% | 10% |
7 | Amazon Pay | 8% | 3% | 17% | 4% |
8 | Google Pay | 7% | 7% | 7% | 9% |
9 | SEPA | 7% | 4% | 13% | 5% |
10 | American Express | 6% | 6% | 8% | 5% |
11 | Afterpay | 5% | 0% | 2% | 14% |
12 | Giropay (displayed in Germany) | 3% | - | 8% | - |
13 | Sofort (displayed in Germany) | 3% | - | 8% | - |
14 | Samsung Pay | 2% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
15 | Alma (displayed in France) | 1% | 3% | - | - |
16 | Others | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
17 | Satispay (displayed in France, Germany, and the Netherlands) | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
18 | Trustly | 1% | 0% | 1% | 2% |
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in the US
Ranking | Payment method | |
|---|---|---|
1 | Visa | 56% |
2 | PayPal | 43% |
3 | Mastercard | 39% |
4 | American Express | 19% |
5 | Apple Pay | 15% |
6 | Amazon Pay | 12% |
7 | Google Pay | 11% |
8 | Afterpay | 5% |
9 | Affirm | 5% |
10 | Samsung Pay | 4% |
11 | Klarna | 4% |
12 | Others | 4% |
13 | Trustly | 3% |
14 | SEPA | 2% |
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in the UK
Ranking | Payment method | |
|---|---|---|
1 | PayPal | 51% |
2 | Visa | 48% |
3 | Mastercard | 47% |
4 | Apple Pay | 18% |
5 | Google Pay | 13% |
6 | American Express | 12% |
7 | Klarna | 9% |
8 | Amazon Pay | 8% |
9 | Clear Pay | 5% |
10 | Samsung Pay | 3% |
11 | SEPA | 1% |
12 | Others | 1% |
13 | Trustly | 1% |
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in Southeast Asia
Ranking | Payment method | Total | Singapore | Malaysia | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PayPal | 55% | 40% | 52% | 72% |
2 | Visa | 50% | 65% | 49% | 35% |
3 | Mastercard | 45% | 56% | 40% | 39% |
4 | Shopee Pay (displayed in Indonesia and Malaysia) | 32% | - | 56% | 41% |
5 | Touch ‘n Go eWallet (displayed in Malaysia) | 23% | - | 68% | - |
6 | Google Pay | 19% | 19% | 15% | 21% |
7 | FPX (displayed in Malaysia) | 17% | - | 50% | - |
8 | GoPay (displayed in Indonesia) | 16% | - | - | 47% |
9 | Apple Pay | 15% | 23% | 15% | 9% |
10 | Duit Now (displayed in Malaysia) | 15% | - | 44% | - |
11 | Dana (displayed in Indonesia) | 15% | - | - | 45% |
12 | GrabPay (displayed in Singapore and Malaysia) | 14% | 21% | 22% | - |
13 | OVO (displayed in Indonesia) | 13% | - | - | 40% |
14 | PayNow (displayed in Singapore) | 11% | 34% | - | - |
15 | American Express | 10% | 10% | 9% | 12% |
16 | Amazon Pay | 10% | 7% | 5% | 19% |
17 | Atome (displayed in Singapore and Malaysia) | 10% | 12% | 17% | - |
18 | DBS PayLah! (displayed in Singapore) | 8% | 25% | - | - |
19 | Samsung Pay | 7% | 8% | 8% | 7% |
20 | Boost (displayed in Malaysia) | 6% | - | 18% | - |
21 | NETS (displayed in Singapore) | 5% | 15% | - | - |
22 | LinkAja (displayed in Indonesia) | 4% | - | - | 12% |
23 | Afterpay | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
24 | Klarna | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
25 | SEPA | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
26 | Trustly | 2% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
27 | Others | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0% |
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in Hong Kong
Ranking | Payment method | |
|---|---|---|
1 | Visa | 59% |
2 | Alipay | 49% |
3 | PayPal | 48% |
4 | WeChat Pay | 38% |
5 | Apple Pay | 37% |
6 | Mastercard | 31% |
7 | Google Pay | 25% |
8 | American Express | 22% |
9 | Amazon Pay | 19% |
10 | PayMe by HSBC | 18% |
11 | FPS | 14% |
12 | Samsung Pay | 9% |
13 | Tap & Go | 9% |
14 | Afterpay | 7% |
15 | Klarna | 5% |
16 | Trustly | 5% |
17 | SEPA | 4% |
Preferred payment methods for cross-border online purchases in Australia and New Zealand
Ranking | Payment method | Total | Australia | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | PayPal | 53% | 63% | 42% |
2 | Visa | 52% | 37% | 67% |
3 | Mastercard | 31% | 35% | 27% |
4 | Afterpay | 21% | 18% | 23% |
5 | Apple Pay | 17% | 19% | 15% |
6 | Google Pay | 11% | 11% | 11% |
7 | American Express | 7% | 9% | 5% |
8 | POLi (displayed in Australia and New Zealand) | 6% | 3% | 10% |
9 | BPAY (displayed in Australia) | 5% | 10% | - |
10 | Amazon Pay | 4% | 5% | 3% |
11 | ZipPay (displayed in Australia) | 4% | 8% | - |
12 | Laybuy (displayed in New Zealand) | 4% | - | 9% |
13 | Samsung Pay | 3% | 3% | 3% |
14 | Klarna | 3% | 4% | 2% |
15 | Trustly | 2% | 2% | 1% |
16 | SEPA | 1% | 2% | 1% |
17 | Others | 1% | 0% | 2% |
Source: Statista, Airwallex
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Airwallex’s Editorial Team is a global collective of business finance and fintech writers based in Australia, Asia, North America, and Europe. With deep expertise spanning finance, technology, payments, startups, and SMEs, the team collaborates closely with experts, including the Airwallex Product team and industry leaders to produce this content.
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