Millennial parents desire speedy, flexible payment options for holiday shopping
Convenience is a key for millennial parents this holiday season.
Three-quarters (75%) of parents between the ages of 28 and 44 surveyed by embedded payments provider NMI said convenience is worth paying extra for, while 74% are more likely to shop online when retailers offer frictionless checkout like digital wallets or one-click payment.
Nearly seven-in-10 (68%) millennial parents said they are more likely to shop in stores when they can use contactless or mobile payments. Just over half (51%) of those surveyed said long lines often make them abandon purchases in store, while 53% abandon online carts due to clunky checkout.
“Whether they’re shopping in-store or online, millennials want to get in and get out this holiday season, and a few factors are influencing this mindset,” said Peter Galvin, chief growth officer at NMI. “Millennials – a generation raised on convenience – strongly favor frictionless payments. But these parents are also working harder than ever to deliver holiday magic. It’s creating a ‘time is money’ dynamic where speed, simplicity and effortless checkout become essential.”
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NMI’s study found that millennial parents are pressed for both time and money this holiday season. Nearly nine-in-10 (87%) say the best shopping experiences are the ones where they can pay and leave quickly, while 80% wish retailers offered more time-saving perks like tech to skip lines and modern payment options (digital wallet, smartwatch pay).
Over half (52%) of those surveyed struggle to even find time to shop online for gifts and say that this stress “puts a damper” on their overall holiday shopping experience.
Rising prices are also shaping how millennial parents approach holiday gifting, according to the survey. Nearly two-thirds (64%) are thrifting or DIYing gifts this year, and 44% have taken on a second job or extra work in 2025 just to afford them. Sixty-eight percent of millennial parents said they are hoping small, local businesses will offer the same modern payment experiences as big-box retailers, including buy now, pay later.
“Retailers can no longer afford to overlook payments innovation when there are countless ways to remove friction,” added Galvin. “Mobile Tap to Pay devices that help parents checkout right from their shopping aisle, digital wallets and one-click checkout are no longer nice-to-have features. They are must-have experiences that prevent cart abandonment and restore joy to holiday shopping.”
NMI’s survey was conducted in November 2025 among 1,000 U.S. millennial parents aged 28-44. All respondents confirmed they are the parent or guardian of at least one child under 18 living in their household.
