Experience Economy and Flexible Payments Dominate Paysafe’s 2025 Holiday Shopping Trends

Nearly Half of Shoppers Prefer Gifting Experiences Over Physical Goods

This holiday season, Paysafe’s latest research spotlights a powerful trend: consumers are moving away from material gifts and leaning toward memorable experiences. According to the survey of 8,500 people across eight countries, 49% would rather gift an experience—such as food, travel, or live events—than a tangible product. Similarly, half of respondents said they’d like to receive an experience, showing how the experience economy is now shaping festive giving as much as holiday plans themselves.

Holiday Shopping Goes Digital: Gift Cards, Early Purchases, and Social Commerce

Shopping patterns are shifting: while nearly half of shoppers (47%) will buy early, one in five will wait for Black Friday. When it comes to gifting, 64% call gift cards the easiest way to please video gamers. Social media is making inroads, especially with Gen Z, as 11% of this group use these platforms to shop. Omnichannel habits are rising too, with 34% splitting purchases between online and physical stores.

Flexible Payments and Security Are Now Essentials—Not Extras

How consumers pay is changing just as quickly as what they buy. While debit (46%) and credit cards (37%) still dominate, digital wallets and eCash now tie at 27%, signaling rapid adoption. Security is also a dealbreaker—almost half of shoppers have abandoned a cart due to unavailable payment methods or safety concerns. Merchants offering broad, secure payment options now stand out from the competition.

Small Businesses Remain at the Heart of Holiday Shopping

Despite global digital shifts, shoppers haven’t forgotten local merchants. A strong 69% plan to support small businesses and independents, providing a lifeline to community retailers as competition grows fiercer online and offline.

Convenience, Assurance, and Omnichannel Engagement Set Merchants Apart

For 2025, success comes down to meeting shoppers where they are, both in payment preferences and experiences offered. According to Rob Gatto, Paysafe’s Chief Revenue Officer, the “holidays are shifting from shopping lists to memorable experiences”—and consumers expect every step, from checkout to enjoyment, to be smooth and secure. Businesses prepared to offer flexible, trusted payment choices and innovative experience-driven gifts may gain the most in this evolving festive season.

Takeaway: Embracing Payment Innovation and the Experience Economy

Paysafe’s survey suggests that as holiday shoppers demand more flexibility and meaning in their purchases, merchants who blend robust security, omnichannel options, and experience-centric gifts are poised to capture the greatest loyalty and sales. For a deeper dive into the findings, the full report is available via Paysafe’s website.

Contact Information:

If you have feedback or concerns about the content, please feel free to reach out to us via email at support@marketchameleon.com.

About the Publisher - Marketchameleon.com:

Marketchameleon is a comprehensive financial research and analysis website specializing in stock and options markets. We leverage extensive data, models, and analytics to provide valuable insights into these markets. Our primary goal is to assist traders in identifying potential market developments and assessing potential risks and rewards.

NOTE: Stock and option trading involves risk that may not be suitable for all investors. Examples contained within this report are simulated and may have limitations. Average returns and occurrences are calculated from snapshots of market mid-point prices and were not actually executed, so they do not reflect actual trades, fees, or execution costs. This report is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Neither Market Chameleon nor any other party makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Please consult a financial advisor before executing any trades. You can read more about option risks and characteristics at theocc.com.

The information is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. All stock price information is provided and transmitted as received from independent third-party data sources. The Information should only be used as a starting point for doing additional independent research in order to allow you to form your own opinion regarding investments and trading strategies. The Company does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the Information.

Disclosure: This article was generated with the assistance of AI