The data: US adults with high financial stress are twice as likely to use digital wallets to complete payments for retail and grocery shopping versus consumers with low financial stress, per a PYMNTS Intelligence report.

• The share of high-financial-stress consumers using digital wallets for retail purchases in December 2025 nearly doubled YoY to 28%.
• But digital wallet use for low-stress consumers has barely budged—rising from 9% to 11% over the same period.

Why this matters: Consumer payment behaviors are shifting as financially embattled US adults contend with the  rising cost of living. 

Digital wallets are meeting needs not met by traditional lenders: These US adults can’t secure access to traditional credit lines (or believe they can’t), are wary of revolving credit, or prefer buy now, pay later (BNPL) options accessible through fintechs.

Implications for merchants: Consumers have grim financial outlooks. Less than half (42%) consider their finances stable, per the Finance Brand. 

With more consumers fearing they will slip into financial instability, retailers should prioritize accepting more payment methods to reduce cart abandonment and boost sales. Partnerships with BNPL providers and other digital wallets can improve customer loyalty and conversion rates.