Latest news with #CheckoutFrictionReport
Campaign ME
15-07-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Have brands successfully gained the trust of consumers in terms of safeguarding consented data?
As data becomes the backbone of modern marketing, trust remains its most volatile currency. Despite changing privacy regulations and advancements in consent management tools, the question still lingers: Have brands successfully gained the trust of consumers in terms of safeguarding consented data? In this month's Industry Forum, we asked voices across advertising, media, communications and strategy to weigh in on whether brands have successfully earned the trust of data-aware consumers. The answers reveal that the industry is flux with answers split right down the middle – here's what they had to say. Baha Hamadi Founder and Managing Director, Keel Comms NO Not really. Despite increased awareness around data privacy and stricter regulations, many consumers remain sceptical about how brands handle their data. Misuse cases such as the recent adidas data breach continue to erode trust, making it difficult for brands to fully assure customers of their data security. The evolving privacy frameworks are a step forward, but have yet to translate into tangible confidence for most consumers. To truly earn trust, brands must prioritise transparency, proactive communication and demonstrable accountability – going beyond compliance to build meaningful relationships based on respect and ethical data stewardship. Harsh Kocher Account Director, TBWA\RAAD YES Consumers don't trust brands because of privacy policies – they trust them because of what the brand stands for. First-party data is only as powerful as the brand equity behind it. In our region, people share data with brands they already associate with value, consistency and relevance. So, while frameworks evolve, trust still comes down to gut feel: Do I like this brand enough to let it in? It's not a tech issue – it's a brand issue. And if you haven't earned that trust, no pop-up, checkbox or cookie disclaimer is going to save you. Tanya Chaudhary Senior Communications Manager, BPG Group YES In the Middle East, especially across the GCC, brands are taking meaningful endeavours to earn consumer trust. However, it is still a journey. In today's business environment, safeguarding consented data is no longer just an IT mandate; it's a communications imperative. Visa's recent Checkout Friction Report revealed 67 per cent of UAE shoppers prefer biometric methods like Face ID. This goes to show how privacy-first tech, when clearly communicated, drives both security and customer confidence. In my work across data-led communications, I've seen how transparent, culturally attuned messaging bridges the gap between compliance and trust. I believe brands that explain how they protect data, and not just that they do, will lead. Louis Nicholls Account Executive, MCH Global NO Even though people are more aware of how their data's being used, most still don't fully trust brands with it. In experiential marketing, where everything's personal, emotional and, often, in real life, the stakes are even higher. Sure, people are up for engaging, but that doesn't mean they're handing over blind trust. The real issue is transparency. Most brands still don't explain how they're using data, why it matters, or what consumers actually get out of it. Until experiences are built with clear data control in the hands of the user, trust will stay surface-level. First-party data has huge potential, but if it's not used in a visible and ethical way, it ends up feeling more invasive than empowering. Trust isn't automatic. You've got to earn it every single time. David Barnes Data and Tech Lead, Omnicom Media Group YES In today's marketing landscape, consumer trust is paramount. Just last week, I drove down Sheikh Zayed Road and saw Apple's latest privacy-focused campaign proudly stating 'Safari. A browser that's actually private', which serves as a bold reminder that privacy remains top of mind. For brands, this reinforces the need to adopt privacy-first approaches in both principle and practice. Consumers are often still willing to share data, but only when there's a clear value exchange. Whether through personalisation, access or convenience, the benefit must be tangible. While brands are still earning full consumer trust on data privacy, many will still share when the value is clear. Yet brands must tread carefully as one misstep can quickly trigger a PR crisis or erode that trust entirely. Santadip Roy Regional Managing Director, Magna Global MENA NO Consumers don't fully trust brands with their data. More than 60 per cent believe companies routinely misuse personal information. As the world shifts towards a more cookieless environment, the technology exists to enhance privacy, but significant governance gaps persist, creating this fundamental trust deficit. For example, data partnerships among brands have surged, driving widespread adoption of privacy-preserving tools such as data clean rooms, while consent management platforms (CMPs) securely manage data from websites and apps. However, such technology doesn't guarantee that meaningful, transparent consent was clearly obtained from users. Trust can be engineered through robust technology, but effective governance frameworks and genuine transparency remain essential prerequisites. Sajju Ambat Director of Creative Strategy and Insights, Serviceplan Group Middle East MAYBE Today, data isn't a relationship. It's a negotiation. The nature of first-party data is changing in some categories, where the stakes are lower. When the rewards are real, people are willing to share. It's not just about trust. It's about the trade. Give them front-row access, exclusive deals, priority treatment, an experience worth bragging about, and they will happily share email, birthday and even their shoe size is yours. Brands need to understand: they will share if you dare. People don't mind sharing their data; they mind sharing it for nothing. If the rewards are juicy enough, if the perks are palpable, if the outcome is instant, people will hand over their shoe size, resting heart rate or even their driving licence number. Overall, data is great when it talks gains and vulnerable when it talks security.
Qatar Tribune
19-06-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Click To Pay: Unlocking Qatar's eCommerce potential through smarter, safer payments
As Qatar rapidly embraces digital transformation, eCommerce is emerging as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. A new Visa report sheds light on how consumers are shopping online more frequently than ever—but also reveals that persistent friction at checkout continues to hinder growth. In this exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune, Shashank Singh, Visa's Vice President and General Manager for Qatar and Kuwait, dives into the key findings from Visa's latest Checkout Friction Report. He discusses the surge in online shopping, the impact of innovations like biometric-enabled Click to Pay and why improving the online checkout experience is now critical for businesses—especially SMEs—looking to thrive in Qatar's evolving digital economy. Excerpts: What's driving the strong growth of eCommerce in Qatar, even as some payment challengesremain? The rise of eCommerce in Qatar is being fueled by consumers' increasing comfort with online platforms and a growing digital infrastructure. Visa's latest Checkout Friction Report shows that one in four respondents now shop online for groceries every day, and for categories like fashion, entertainment, and electronics, many shop at least oncea month. However, while adoption is high, the online checkout experience remains a sticking point for many. Common frustrations, especially having to manually enter card details and concerns about payment security, continue to affect both satisfaction and conversion. Addressing these pain points presents a significant opportunity for retailers to boost loyalty and revenue. The report shows many respondents would shop more with one click checkout and biometrics. Is Click to Pay the answer, and is it already available in Qatar? Yes, Click to Pay is already live in Qatar. In fact, Qatar National Bank (QNB) was the first acquirer bank globally to launch Visa's Click to Pay with biometric authentication and Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) was the first issuer bank in both Qatar and the GCC to launch the service in partnership with Visa. This feature eliminates the need for consumers to repeatedly enter card and personal details, using biometric authentication on the shopper's device to speed up and secure the process. The demand for this kind of innovation is strong. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they would likely use Click to Pay with Biometrics, and 80 percent said they would shop more frequently if a one-click checkout was available. Security is a key concern for many shoppers especially when it comes to biometric data. How can merchants ensure security of such data? Security is top of mind for Qatar's online shoppers, with 68 percent worried about fraud and 58 percent uneasy about storing card details across multiple sites. Concerns around biometric data are understandable and increasingly relevant. Click to Pay addresses this by using Visa Payment Passkey, which authenticates users through their device's built-in biometrics like fingerprint or face ID. Crucially, this biometric data never leaves the user's device and isn't shared with merchants or payment networks, reducing the risk of misuse. Tokenization adds another layer of protection by replacing card details with a secure, encrypted token, meaning actual card information is never exposed during transactions. Merchants also play a critical role by following data security standards like Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), ensuring secure storage, encryption, and access control. Protecting sensitive data takes a layered approach – combining secure tech, industry compliance, and a strong culture of data responsibility across the payments ecosystem. What should small businesses and eCommerce sites take away from this study? Can improved checkout experiences help attract more customers? Absolutely. The findings of the Checkout Friction Report are clear. A smoother, more secure checkout process directly impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. Small businesses and eCommerce sites should see this as a call to action. By embracing advanced solutions like Click to Pay, streamlining the payment journey, and prioritizing security, they not only improve conversion rates but also build long term trust with their customer base. With digital transformation high on Qatar's national agenda, now is the perfect time for merchants, especially smaller players, to align with evolving consumer expectations and stand out in an increasingly competitive eCommerce landscape.
Qatar Tribune
18-06-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Click To Pay: Unlocking Qatar's eCommercepotential through smarter, safer payments
As Qatar rapidly embraces digital transformation, eCommerce is emerging as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. A new Visa report sheds light on how consumers are shopping online more frequently than ever—but also reveals that persistent friction at checkout continues to hinder growth. In this exclusive interview with Qatar Tribune, Shashank Singh, Visa's Vice President and General Manager for Qatar and Kuwait, dives into the key findings from Visa's latest Checkout Friction Report. He discusses the surge in online shopping, the impact of innovations like biometric-enabled Click to Pay and why improving the online checkout experience is now critical for businesses—especially SMEs—looking to thrive in Qatar's evolving digital economy. Excerpts: What's driving the strong growth of eCommerce in Qatar, even as some payment challengesremain? The rise of eCommerce in Qatar is being fueled by consumers' increasing comfort with online platforms and a growing digital infrastructure. Visa's latest Checkout Friction Report shows that one in four respondents now shop online for groceries every day, and for categories like fashion, entertainment, and electronics, many shop at least oncea month. However, while adoption is high, the online checkout experience remains a sticking point for many. Common frustrations, especially having to manually enter card details and concerns about payment security, continue to affect both satisfaction and conversion. Addressing these pain points presents a significant opportunity for retailers to boost loyalty and revenue. The report shows many respondents would shop more with one click checkout and biometrics. Is Click to Pay the answer, and is it already available in Qatar? Yes, Click to Pay is already live in Qatar. In fact, Qatar National Bank (QNB) was the first acquirer bank globally to launch Visa's Click to Pay with biometric authentication and Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) was the first issuer bank in both Qatar and the GCC to launch the service in partnership with Visa. This feature eliminates the need for consumers to repeatedly enter card and personal details, using biometric authentication on the shopper's device to speed up and secure the process. The demand for this kind of innovation is strong. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they would likely use Click to Pay with Biometrics, and 80 percent said they would shop more frequently if a one-click checkout was available. Security is a key concern for many shoppers especially when it comes to biometric data. How can merchants ensure security of such data? Security is top of mind for Qatar's online shoppers, with 68 percent worried about fraud and 58 percent uneasy about storing card details across multiple sites. Concerns around biometric data are understandable and increasingly relevant. Click to Pay addresses this by using Visa Payment Passkey, which authenticates users through their device's built-in biometrics like fingerprint or face ID. Crucially, this biometric data never leaves the user's device and isn't shared with merchants or payment networks, reducing the risk of misuse. Tokenization adds another layer of protection by replacing card details with a secure, encrypted token, meaning actual card information is never exposed during transactions. Merchants also play a critical role by following data security standards like Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), ensuring secure storage, encryption, and access control. Protecting sensitive data takes a layered approach – combining secure tech, industry compliance, and a strong culture of data responsibility across the payments ecosystem. What should small businesses and eCommerce sites take away from this study? Can improved checkout experiences help attract more customers? Absolutely. The findings of the Checkout Friction Report are clear. A smoother, more secure checkout process directly impacts customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, sales. Small businesses and eCommerce sites should see this as a call to action. By embracing advanced solutions like Click to Pay, streamlining the payment journey, and prioritizing security, they not only improve conversion rates but also build long term trust with their customer base. With digital transformation high on Qatar's national agenda, now is the perfect time for merchants, especially smaller players, to align with evolving consumer expectations and stand out in an increasingly competitive eCommerce landscape.
Arabian Business
06-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE shoppers want 1-click, biometric checkouts for safer online payments: Visa
Consumers across the UAE are calling for more secure and seamless online shopping experiences, according to Visa's latest Checkout Friction Report. Despite the rapid growth of ecommerce and digital adoption in the region, key challenges at the checkout stage continue to hinder consumer satisfaction and business performance. Based on a survey of more than 2,000 online shoppers across the GCC, the report shows that security concerns and complex payment steps are the top barriers to smooth transactions. Online shopping in the UAE In the UAE, 40 per cent of shoppers cite fear of fraud as their biggest concern, while 37 per cent are frustrated by the need to repeatedly enter card details. Shopping frequency is high, with one in three UAE consumers buying groceries online multiple times a week, and categories like fashion, entertainment, and electronics seeing regular purchases monthly. However, friction during checkout can lead to abandoned carts and lost revenue for retailers. Visa's research underscores a growing preference for advanced payment technologies. A significant 67 per cent of UAE shoppers said they would adopt biometric authentication like fingerprint or face ID to check out online. Additionally, 65 per cent support a unified registration process for digital payments across websites. The report also highlights that 82 per cent of consumers would shop online more frequently if one-click checkout options were widely available, and 66 per cent are likely to use Visa's 'Click to Pay with Biometrics' feature. This solution simplifies online shopping by eliminating manual card entry, using secure device-based biometric authentication to speed up and protect the transaction process. Salima Gutieva, Visa's VP and Country Manager for UAE, said: 'Challenges in the online checkout process have direct implications for businesses, resulting in lost revenue, and hampering both customer acquisition and retention. 'Today's consumers expect – and deserve – a more seamless and secure eCommerce experience. That's why Visa is working with partners to enable solutions like Click to Pay, which leverages biometrics and tokenisation to eliminate key pain points and deliver a more convenient shopping experience.
Zawya
03-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Visa study reveals UAE consumers would shop more online with simpler checkout experience
The need to manually enter card details, and security concerns are major pain points for consumers shopping online, resulting in lost revenue for businesses Two-thirds of respondents trust biometric authentication more than traditional methods such as passwords and OTPs UAE, Dubai: Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today announced the findings of its ' Checkout Friction Report ', which highlights strong consumer demand for a more secure and seamless eCommerce experience. Despite the widespread adoption of eCommerce and significant progress in growing the UAE's digital economy, opportunity remains for retailers to enhance checkout experience and increase customer satisfaction. The research is based on a survey of 2,016 online shoppers across the GCC, including the UAE, and explores their experiences with eCommerce purchases. It examines common pain points during the checkout process that affect both consumer satisfaction and business outcomes. Checkout Challenges Undermine the Rise of Frequent Online Shopping Visa's 'Checkout Friction Report' shows that one in three respondents (33%) in the UAE shops multiple times a week for groceries. For categories such as fashion, entertainment, and electronics, shopping frequency ranges from once to a few times a month. According to 40% of respondents, the biggest frustrations with online checkouts are security concerns, followed by the hassle of entering card details manually (37%). By addressing these challenges, retailers can enhance the checkout experience which could lead to increased customer satisfaction. "Challenges in the online checkout process have direct implications for businesses, resulting in lost revenue, and hampering both customer acquisition and retention. Today's consumers expect – and deserve – a more seamless and secure eCommerce experience. That's why Visa is working with partners to enable solutions like Click to Pay, which leverages biometrics and tokenization to eliminate key pain points and deliver a more convenient shopping experience. Improving these moments not only drives business results but also builds on the UAE government's achievements in building a seamless, secure digital economy,' said Salima Gutieva, Visa's VP and Country Manager for UAE. UAE Online Shoppers Prioritize Safety Beyond the inconvenience of current checkout options, security remains a top priority for online shoppers. According to Visa's research, 58% of consumers surveyed are worried about the risk of fraud or hacking when storing their card details on multiple websites. Additionally, 42% of respondents have experienced fraud or security breaches. Biometrics and One-Click Checkouts for Better Online Payment Experience Visa's 'Checkout Friction Report' reveals a strong preference for a more streamlined checkout, with 65% of respondents supporting a single registration process for online payments across all participating merchants. When the option of biometric authentication was proposed, two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they would use it to check out, with many trusting biometric authentication (fingerprint/face ID) more than traditional payment methods (passwords/OTP). For businesses, the demand for simpler and safer checkout options is clear. Most respondents (82%) would shop online more frequently and be more likely to complete their purchases with a one-click checkout option. Two-thirds of the surveyed consumers (66%) show a high likelihood of using 'Click to Pay with Biometrics'' if offered by online retailers. Visa Click to Pay streamlines online shopping by providing advanced checkout experiences, eliminating the need to manually enter card details, thereby making transactions significantly faster. At participating eCommerce platforms, consumers can simply click the Click to Pay button to complete their purchase quickly and easily using their preferred Visa card and shipping address. Visa's Click to Pay relies on biometric authentication available on the consumer's device and does not require transfer of biometric data. About Visa Inc. Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at
