By PYMNTS | October 14, 2026
Merchants could keep more ready buyers at checkout by accepting the digital wallets those shoppers already use, with wallet gaps putting roughly 36 million U.S. consumers at risk of walking away.
That finding comes from “The Hidden Cost of Checkout Gaps: What 56 Million Abandoned Carts Mean for U.S. Merchants and How Agentic AI is Changing What Comes Next,” a PYMNTS Intelligence report produced in collaboration with PayPal. Based on a June 2026 survey of 2,179 U.S. adults, the report finds that 21% abandoned an online cart in the previous 30 days because their preferred payment method wasn’t available. The population estimates reflect survey results applied to U.S. adults. For merchants, adding payment choices offers a practical opportunity to complete purchases shoppers had already decided to make. A checkout without the preferred wallet is like a store with the right merchandise but a locked door at the register.
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Key Points:
- Missing wallets account for a substantial share of abandoned purchases. Among consumers who abandoned a cart because their preferred payment method was unavailable, 47% wanted a digital wallet, representing an estimated 26.3 million U.S. adults. Apple Pay and Cash App each drew mentions from 18% of these shoppers, followed by PayPal at 12%. Respondents could name multiple methods if they abandoned more than one cart. The findings give merchants specific payment preferences to consider when reviewing checkout options.
- Wallet use extends across generations. One-third of U.S. consumers used a digital wallet online in the previous 30 days. Usage reached 47% among Gen Z and 44% among millennials, but it also included 30% of Gen X and 16% of baby boomers and seniors. Merchants serving older customers therefore have reason to review wallet acceptance, too. Overall, about 87 million adults used wallets online, while 77 million used them in stores.
- Wallet acceptance can help merchants retain the sale. About 14% of U.S. consumers either abandoned an online cart over missing wallet acceptance or said they would’ve abandoned a wallet purchase without it. That combined measure represents approximately 36 million people. The share reached 28% for Gen Z and 18% for millennials. It captures both reported abandonment and shoppers’ stated willingness to leave, rather than 36 million completed departures.
The report also finds that 43% of consumers would likely link a wallet to an artificial intelligence shopping agent within two years. Among recent online wallet users, that share rises to 52%. Consumers want approval rights, spending limits and restrictions on what agents can buy. Supporting familiar wallets today could help merchants prepare for purchases consumers authorize AI tools to make tomorrow.