PYMNTS Report: Gen Z Shoppers Abandon Carts Without Digital Wallets

A September 2026 report by PYMNTS Intelligence, produced in collaboration with PayPal, states that 28% of Gen Z shoppers dropped or intended to drop a cart in the prior month because a preferred wallet was unavailable.

The study, titled “The Hidden Cost of Checkout Gaps,” notes this rate is more than double the 13.7% figure for all shoppers. Similar abandonment rates were seen at 18% among millennials, 10% among Generation X, and 3.9% among baby boomers and seniors.

Digital wallet adoption remains strong among younger demographics. In the prior month, a digital wallet was the tool relied upon by 44% of millennials and Forty-seven percent of Gen Z shoppers to finalize an online purchase. Among Gen Z customers who used a wallet for their most recent retail transaction, 48% indicated they would have changed retailers or cancelled the order if that option had not existed.

The researchers estimate that 36 million U.S. shoppers dropped or planned to drop a cart in the month due to the unavailability of their preferred wallet. This cohort is part of the roughly 87 million consumers, or one-third of U.S. shoppers, who accessed a digital wallet online within the last 30 days.