Top E-Commerce Payment and Fraud Trends in 2026
A new report from Visa Acceptance Solutions, MRC, and Verifi reveals that 43% of merchants globally now accept real-time payments (RTP), a 6% year-over-year increase. This makes RTP the fifth most accepted payment method worldwide. The study, based on a Q4 2025 survey of over 1,200 merchant professionals, also shows that 83% of RTP-accepting merchants saw increased customer usage in the past year. Cost minimization has become merchants' top priority, replacing fraud reduction and customer experience.
Merchants are prioritizing cost minimization, a significant shift since 2024 when only 10% cited it as their primary goal. This year, 29% of merchants named cost minimization as their top imperative. This focus on efficiency drives the rapid adoption of real-time payments, with 43% of merchants now accepting them.
The push for RTP acceptance in Asia-Pacific is clear. While 29% of APAC consumer businesses currently use AI agents, this is forecast to surge to 76% within two years. This regional growth outpaces the global merchant adoption of agentic AI payments, which stands at just 19%.
The real test is whether Asian payment providers can integrate agentic AI solutions quickly enough. McKinsey forecasts agentic commerce could orchestrate US$3 trillion to US$5 trillion globally by 2030. The speed of implementation will dictate who captures this value in Asia.
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