Checkout is the ultimate brand litmus test. It’s when shoppers decide if your store is a modern, wallet-ready business or a 2016 relic stuck on manual card entry.
Payment flexibility today doesn’t mean just taking Discover alongside Visa and Mastercard at checkout. It’s about meeting customers where they are, whether that’s a one-tap digital wallet, a localized payment method, or an AI-powered agent transacting on their behalf.
It’s no secret that customers want to pay their way, and 10% will abandon checkout if not enough payment methods are available online.
Ahead, you’ll learn about the payment options that matter in 2026, and how to offer them with Shopify.
What is payment flexibility?
Payment flexibility means giving customers choices over how and when they pay. It involves offering everything from card payments to digital wallets for speed, and even installations for bigger orders.
Payment flexibility in commerce falls into five main categories:
- Popular payment rails include digital wallets, cards, and instant bank transfers.
- Quick authentication through biometrics or saved customer profiles.
- Local currencies and regional methods that feel familiar to international fans.
- Unified systems that work the same way online and at physical locations.
- Flexible payment terms like net 30 for B2B accounts.
Shopify enables businesses to offer payment flexibility across many fronts. Shop Pay, an accelerated checkout option, saves shipping and payment information so customers can check out with one tap.
With Shopify Payments, you can also offer wallet options like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and support more than 130 international currencies. That way, you can remove friction for global buyers and enhance customer satisfaction by offering multiple payment methods.
Why payment flexibility matters more in 2026
Shoppers arrive at your checkout page with a “pay my way” mindset.
If their preferred payment method or installment plan isn’t there, they won’t shuffle through their wallets looking for a card—they’ll bounce. With non-card payments now accounting for 66% of global online sales, offering flexibility is the simplest way to convert more buyers worldwide.
When you prioritize choice and speed, you remove the friction that keeps shoppers from purchasing. For example:
- Dr. Squatch saw a 15% lift in mobile conversion by using Shop Pay to bypass manual entry.
- Supernote watched order volume jump 42% in three months by simplifying checkout with Shop Pay.
- High-ticket brands like Juiced Bikes made more than $2,000 products accessible by offering three-, six-, or 12-month payment plans with Shop Pay Installments.
“Shop Pay is definitely our most popular payment method. It’s a faster user experience and it’s all contained within the checkout flow, so customers aren’t being redirected anywhere else,” says Marisa Delatorre, director of ecommerce at Juiced Bikes. “It’s even better if customers have an account already, as the two-factor authentication gets you checked out in no time.”
Essentially, when you make paying feel like a breeze, your customers spend more and stick around longer.
The payment flexibility mix to consider in 2026
- Accelerated checkout
- Digital wallets and contactless
- BNPL and installments
- Local payment options
- Gift cards
- Store credit
- Bank transfer
- AI chat
There are multiple payment options available to meet customer expectations and gain competitive advantage in your market.
Accelerated checkout
Standard checkouts feel like a chore. You hit the Cart button and suddenly you have to type your whole life story into tiny boxes. Some 18% of shoppers abandon a checkout because the process is too long or complex.
Accelerated checkout options like Shop Pay fix this with speed and trust. Shoppers recognize that purple Pay Shop button and know they can skip the boring stuff.
The system remembers shipping and card info, so everything fills in automatically. Shoppers don’t have to hunt for a wallet or type a long address.They just confirm their details, and they are done. It turns a complicated process into a quick win for everyone—including businesses like Princess Polly that saw a 4.1% conversion increase for buyers with an existing Shop Pay session.
“Our focus is always on eliminating barriers at checkout to ensure customers complete their purchases without leaving,” says Melanie Huang, ecommerce manager at Princess Polly. “Shop Pay Auto Redirect aligns perfectly with our goal by providing a smooth, seamless experience. Internally, our team loves it, and it’s a hit with our target demographic, who are accustomed to such effortless transactions.”
Digital wallets and contactless
Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay have changed the way people shop. Most shoppers now expect a checkout that feels like their phone—fast, secure, and biometric. You touch a sensor or glance at your screen, and the purchase is done.
The ACI Speedpay Pulse Report shows wallet payments grew 105% between 2019 and 2024. People love the speed of a single tap. Since 2019, the number of shoppers using four or more digital wallets has grown tenfold. It’s not just a trend for young people—shoppers in general want to leave their physical cards at home and use contactless options instead.
With payment gateways like Shopify Payments, you can offer digital wallets as a payment option whether online or in-store.
BNPL and installments
Sticker shock, or the sudden dismay that a product price is outrageously high, kills a sale instantly.
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) options solve this by breaking a large total into smaller payments. The Motley Fool Money’s 2025 Buy Now, Pay Later Trends Study found that more than half of Gen Z and millennials favor BNPL over credit cards for purchases now.
BNPL options like Shop Pay Installments help you avoid discounts to move the product. It works best for expensive items like bikes or body care products. For example, Dr. Squatch increased average order value (AOV) by 60% with orders through Shop Pay Installments. If your order values are high and margins are healthy, test installments on your best products.
Local payment methods
Payment habits aren’t the same everywhere. What feels like a standard checkout in one country might feel risky or clunky in another.
People trust the buttons they use for everything else in their lives, whether that’s a bank app or a local voucher. Look at the Netherlands as an example. Credit cards account for only 14% of the country’s online shopping. Instead, nearly everyone uses iDEAL.
In Mexico, the story is more diverse, with shoppers splitting between e-wallets, bank transfers, and cash options like OXXO Pay. If you only offer credit cards, you’re closing your doors to entire countries.
SuitShop nearly walked away from global sales because the local payment hurdles felt impossible to clear. The brand turned it all around with Shopify Managed Markets—international conversions jumped by 32%. Total global orders eventually skyrocketed by 600% because it gave every customer a familiar way to pay.
Gift cards
Gift cards are a great way to find new fans. It gives shoppers a balance to spend in your shop, whether they are new or existing customers. A March 2025 survey found 81% of shoppers bought a gift card last year. About 57% said receiving a gift card would push them to try a new business.
Store credit
Another type of flexible payment option is store credit, or a non-cash balance associated with a customer account to use at your store. Use store credit to save a sale when things go wrong.
For example, if a customer wants to return an item, you can offer instant credit instead of a cash refund to keep the money in-house. You can even send a little credit to a VIP if their order is late.
Bank transfer
High-ticket items and B2B deals are sometimes transacted through direct bank transfers.
Card fees chew through your profit when a price tag is high, which is why pay-by-bank options are gaining ground. A July 2025 Federal Reserve report noted how these payments lower costs and simplify big sales. Buyers are moving fast. The 2025 BCG Global Payments Report also shows these transfers made up 25% of digital retail payments. They grew 40% in 2024 alone.
You can set this up on Shopify through manual bank transfers or tools like iDEAL. Just remember that manual payments add extra work for your team. You must verify that the funds arrived before you ship any goods. Save manual payment methods for your most expensive products or for B2B transactions to save on fees.
AI chat
Shopping is moving from search bars to chat windows. People now ask AI for advice and want to buy items right then and there—a concept called agentic commerce.
By late 2025, ChatGPT hit 700 million weekly users, creating a huge opportunity for retailers to sell online. The magic here is the lack of a redirect. You don’t send shoppers to a website where they might get distracted or change their minds. You let them finish the purchase exactly where the conversation started.
For example, a customer can ask for a leather wallet costing less than $80 that ships to Mexico, and the AI handles the rest. They pick the color and pay inside the chat using your store’s existing checkout rules. It keeps your tracking and attribution clean while removing every bit of friction. You just need an accurate product catalog and clear shipping policies to be ready.
How to implement payment flexibility on Shopify
If you want your checkout to cater to different customer preferences, you can manage options in your Shopify Admin under Settings > Payments.
Here’s how it works.
1. Establish your payment gateway
Everything starts with a reliable card processor. Shopify Payments is the simplest route. If eligible, activate it to automatically integrate with most Shopify features.
If using an external provider like PayPal or Authorize.net, select them from the Payment Providers list, enter your credentials, and click Activate.
2. Activate accelerated checkouts
Add your digital wallets to satisfy shoppers’ need for speed. In the Payments menu, click Manage on your provider. Check Enable Shop Pay and follow the prompts to verify your banking details.
3. Offer BNPL and manual options
Under Shopify Payments, click Manage, and check Shop Pay Installments. This lets customers split their total into smaller payments.
For Bank Transfers or Cash on Delivery (COD), select a manual payment method. Ensure you fill out the Payment Instructions section so customers know how to complete their purchase.
Payment flexibility FAQ
What does payment flexibility mean?
Payment flexibility means offering your customers multiple payment methods at checkout. You can offer digital wallets like Apple Pay, accelerated checkout options like Shop Pay, BNPL options, or even manual options like bank transfers.
What are flexible payment terms?
Payment terms are the rules about when a customer has to pay you. Flexible terms might include net 30 (i.e., paying the full amount 30 days invoicing), installment plans, or milestone payments where the cost is split across different stages of a project.
Which pay later app does not check credit?
Apps like Shop Pay Installments and Splitit are known for not requiring a hard credit inquiry, which means applying won’t hurt your credit score. Splitit is unique because it uses the available limit already on your existing credit card to secure the purchase, while Shop Pay Installments uses Affirm’s internal logic to approve users.
