- 56.4% of German consumers name security as the most important criterion when choosing a payment method.
- Awareness of pay by bank among the German population increases from 66.9% (2024) to 72.4% (2025).
- 63% of Gen Z regularly use digital, account and wallet-based payment methods when shopping online.
Stockholm – 22 September, 2025 – In the EU, real-time “pay by bank” payments are gaining ground. The Instant Payments Regulation stipulates that, from October, payment service providers must not only receive payments in real time, but also enable them to be sent without additional fees. With this in mind, Brite Payments, a Swedish provider of Pay-By-Bank, conducted a study together with YouGov to identify online payment trends and consumer preferences in Germany. The results of the Online Payment Trends Report 2025 show: Germans are open to new payment methods and place particular emphasis on security when making their choice. They are also placing an ever greater focus on speed, especially when it comes to refunds.
Conscious decision for online payment methods: security comes before habit
The latest figures show that pay by bank is establishing itself as a serious alternative in online payment transactions. 37% of consumers already use this method at least once a month, which puts it on a par with credit cards. However, while only a good third (36%) state that they never use pay by bank, this figure is significantly higher for credit cards at 43.5%. Pay by bank payment methods are increasingly being integrated into German checkouts. Consumers pay directly in the checkout via their bank account – without registration, detours or credit cards. The underlying open banking technology enables real-time payments and reduces costs for merchants, as transactions are made directly from account to account – with full control and without high credit card commissions.
Overall, digital payment methods continue to gain ground. In the latest survey, digital wallets lead the rankings with 57% regular use, ahead of debit cards (55.8%).
Contrary to the assumption that habit is the most important factor when choosing a means of payment, the latest figures show that Germans emphasize security as the most important factor. In light of recent security breaches and payment processing challenges, this further highlights how external factors could influence shifts in consumer payment preferences in the future..
Only 13.2 percent choose a method out of habit. This underlines a clear shift towards more conscious, security-oriented decisions.
“The latest study shows that in an increasingly digitalized world, German consumers want one thing above all: absolute security in their online transactions,” says Lena Hackelöer, founder and CEO of Brite Payments. “Against the backdrop of current discussions about data protection and security standards in online payments, it is crucial that payment service providers and merchants offer solutions that not only guarantee this trust, but actively strengthen it. Pay by Bank fulfills this need for security, speed and transparency like no other method.”
Gen Z: digitally savvy, but security-conscious
Among respondents aged between 18 and 29, it is clear that the younger generation is increasingly consciously forgoing physical cards. Instead, they prefer digital, account and wallet-based solutions such as pay by bank or digital wallets. The latter are used regularly by 63 percent of Gen Z. Pay by Bank is also used significantly more frequently in this age group than the German average: 46% of 18 to 29-year-olds use this method at least once a month, while only 23% have never used it.
What is particularly interesting is that the regular use of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has fallen significantly compared to the previous year – from 35% to 23%. Installment purchases are also less popular with Gen Z. While 27% still used them at least once a month in 2024, this figure is now 21%. These figures suggest a greater need for security and a sense of financial responsibility. At the same time, it is clear that the younger generation has particularly high expectations of fast and seamless payment experiences.
Instant payments: the future of payment transactions
With the advancement of the Instant Payments Regulation in the EU, consumers’ expectations of real-time payment transactions are also increasing. They increasingly expect payments to be processed in a time-efficient manner: 44 percent of respondents already expect refunds or payouts to be made within 60 seconds – an increase of 15 percentage points compared to the previous year and the most dynamic factor in consumer expectations. It is precisely this growing need for instant money transfers that is one of Pay by Bank’s greatest strengths.
Download the entire report here.
About Brite
Brite Payments is a second-generation fintech company based in Stockholm. The company uses open banking technology to process account-to-account (A2A) payments between consumers and online merchants in real time. Brite does not require registration or credit card details, as consumers authenticate themselves using their bank’s usual identification methods. The company currently operates in 25 markets in Europe and connects 3,800 banks in the EU in its network.
*METHODOLOGY OF THE SURVEY
The Online Payments Report was commissioned by Brite Payments. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The survey was conducted among 2,016 people aged 18 and over within Germany. The fieldwork was conducted from February 7 to 13, 2025 using the CAWI method. The data was weighted according to gender, age and geography in order to obtain results that correspond to the overall average of the population.
