Digital natives: How to win the trust of Gen Z and Millennials
73 percent of digital natives are involved in B2B product or purchase decision-making, and about one-third are sole decision-makers. Learn how to win their trust.
Though the e-commerce boom has slowed from it’s pandemic-driven high, it’s still gathering strength, set to surpass $7.5 trillion in the year 2026. In other words, customers aren’t planning to stop shopping on their phones and making online payments anytime soon, and ecommerce payments by generation reflect this reality.
To meet this demand, small businesses, corporations, utilities, and even financial institutions are integrating more ecommerce payment options into their business models. They understand that making payments more convenient has numerous benefits, and that there’s more to consider than credit and debit cards.
Consumers today expect flexible payment options and seamless transactions, full stop. But the kind of options they prefer can vary depending on their generation.
Generational expectations and preferences for ecommerce payments can be grouped into three main categories:
- Security
- Buyer financial health
- Convenience
How DO different generations prefer to make online payments? And what are the implications for e-commerce businesses?
The ecommerce payment landscape
Before delving into the generational differences, let’s first consider how complex the world of online payments has become.
Merchants have a dizzying array of payment options they can choose to integrate into their ecommerce business, including:
- Payment gateways like PayPal and Square
- Buy now, pay later services such as Klarna, Afterpay, and Affirm
- Digital wallets like Apple Pay
- Cryptocurrency
Brands also need to consider how robust security measures should be to ensure their customers’ financial data is safe. After all, how well sellers meet buyers’ preferences can directly impact customer satisfaction and the business’s bottom line.
Online payment security concerns: From boomers to Gen Z
How do different generations perceive and prioritize cyber security? Do they care about encryption and compliance standards? How does their comfort level with technology in general come into play?
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) are the generation most concerned with online safety. However, a Euromonitor International study found that only 40% have taken steps to protect themselves, and one in ten actually avoid online shopping altogether because they worry online brands will steal or share their personal information. This high concern for security is often why they’re skeptical of new technology in general. Boomers tend to prefer traditional in-person payment methods.
Generation X (born 1965-1980) also are highly concerned about security and privacy. Most often, this group prefers payment methods with a strong track record of security and fraud prevention.
Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born 1997-2020): Consumer attitudes towards security shifts when it comes to younger generations. Only 40% of Gen Z rated data and privacy as extremely important compared with 65% of non-Gen Z respondents, an EY study found. More than half of millennials and Gen Zers don’t even oppose companies sharing their personal data with third parties. They do expect, however, that these companies offer them a more personalized and valuable customer experience.
Since they grew up in the rise of the digital age, both millennials and Gen Z are highly aware of cyber threats. They tend to be concerned about security, but are willing to try new technologies if convinced of their safety, opting for two-factor authentication, privacy browsers, and encrypted payment methods to keep their data safe.
The role of financial health in ecommerce payment preferences
How sensitive is each generation to transaction fees or late charges? Do they appreciate more flexible payment terms? What kind of debt have they accrued in their lifetime? And how does their financial health impact their online shopping habits?
Baby boomers may be the largest user of traditional methods (like checks), but they’re getting the hang of mobile methods, especially for paying their bills. This group is generally financially secure, with 40% of them already retired. They tend to prefer payment methods that are straightforward and easy to use, which is why so many like to employ online bill pay, either directly with a company or through their financial institution.
Having grown up during the credit card boom of the 1960s, it makes sense that Gen Xers are more likely to pay by card and more likely to have credit card debt than any other generation.
Overall, they tend to be stable financially. Most of them are at the peak of their earning potential right now, which is why they prefer reliable and well established payment methods.
Although millennials are typically facing financial challenges like student debt, they tend to be more financially independent than their younger counterparts. Millennials are drawn to payment methods that come with financial planning and management tools, hoping to pay off debt sooner rather than later.
Gen Z may not yet be very high earners (most are financially dependent on parents or part-time jobs) but they’re generally prudent and prefer to live within their means. They like to avoid additional fees and have the lowest credit card usage of all the generations, with only 39% of them reporting frequent use. They’re overall quite cautious about excessive spending, and like their millennial cohorts, are interested in payment methods that offer budgeting tools.
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The convenience factor
What compels shoppers to purchase online via ecommerce payments in the first place? Convenience. But specific features, like streamlined checkouts and hassle-free transactions, can make an online shopping experience even more convenient.
The question is which generations will opt in for more convenience, even if said convenience conflicts with their personal comfort levels? Does personal comfort with technology override convenience when making a payment, or vice versa?
Baby boomers aren’t going to let inconvenience interfere with what they’re comfortable with, and that’s traditional payment methods like cash and checks. They actually prefer to use good old hard cash for a lot of their purchases (my 70-year-old mother STILL uses bank-issued white paper envelopes to carry cash she budgets for the week).
As a whole, boomers may be slower to adopt mobile methods of paying, but not that slow! They’re less tech-savvy, but a simple and user-friendly interface can win them over. Boomers do appreciate convenient and efficient ways to make regularly scheduled payments like their bills.
Nearly 83 percent of Gen Xers own smartphones, but they’re overall less inclined to use mobile payments to make a purchase compared to millennials and Gen Z. Their comfort level with using technology for payments is moderate, with most preferring digital methods that are easy to use or already integrated into their existing financial tools (like sending money via Zelle in their banking app).
Millennials and Gen Z, known as digital natives, are more comfortable with payment technology than their older counterparts, and often are early adopters of newer payment methods, especially mobile wallets and peer-to-peer payment apps.
They gravitate towards methods with less steps and better customer service. But Gen Zers can be more stubborn than millennials when it comes to the their preferred form of payment, as they’re more likely to hold off purchasing an item rather than using an alternative payment method.
3 ways to meet generational payment preferences
Despite the differences, there are ways brands can address generational preferences while integrating ecommerce payments.
- Offer a variety of payment options: A wide range of payment methods ensures customers from different generations can find one they’re most comfortable using.
- Provide seamless and secure experiences: Prioritize a safe and easy payment process by employing robust security features that don’t compromise convenience (there are only so many “Are you a robot?” tests I can take before abandoning my shopping cart altogether).
- Adapt to continuous innovation: The e-commerce landscape is always changing and advancing. Stay ahead of emerging trends by integrating new technologies that will keep your brand relevant and appealing, while also reassuring older customers of your brand’s steadfast reliability and trustworthy reputation.
By implementing these strategies, e-commerce brands can create a payment system that maximizes customer satisfaction across all generations, ensuring a seamless, secure, and enjoyable shopping experience.
