Study: Digital payments dominate; ‘alternative’ methods go mainstream
Fast, frictionless bill payments are an imperative in today’s digital environment.
That’s according to ACI Worldwide’s 2025 Speedpay Pulse Report, the largest and longest running consumer survey of America’s billing, payment and communication preferences. It found that digital has become the go-to payment method for consumers of all ages, with billers’ websites and mobile apps, along with banks’ websites, topping the charts as the preferred channels for monthly bill payments.
The report reveals that a significant proportion of consumers — three-in-10 — made urgent or same-day bill payments in the past 12 months, with Gen Z and millennials especially displaying a preference for faster payments. The results highlight the importance of integrating digital bill payment channels with faster, seamless payment experiences that are tailored to consumer preferences, according to the report.
In other findings, mobile wallets are also firmly mainstream, challenging their reputation as “alternative payment methods.” Nearly half of smartphone owners report that they currently use a mobile wallet to make a payment. And when it comes to bill payments, younger consumers are a mobile wallet’s biggest devotees, but even boomers are now avid users of other digital channels
Speed is a differentiator: Consumers — especially Gen Z and Millennials — expect same-day payment capabilities, with many willing to pay for faster, more responsive service.
Key takeaways from the report are below.
- Digital is dominant: Bill payments have fully transitioned into a digital routine for consumers of all ages.
- Mobile wallets are mainstream: Nearly half of smartphone users now make payments with mobile wallets; younger consumers lead adoption, but even Boomers embrace digital channels.
- AI has promise, but needs a purpose: Consumers welcome AI for routine support but overwhelmingly prefer humans for billing issue. (The vast majority — 89.2% —of consumers prefer engaging a live person over an AI-powered solution when resolving bill-related issues.)
- Fraud protection is AI’s sweet spot: AI is already proving vital in real-time fraud detection, safeguarding consumers against identity theft, through advanced algorithms that recognize anomalies in payment patterns.
- Competing on convenience: Consumers now judge biller experiences alongside e-commerce giants — those who integrate rewards, seamless interfaces, and self-service tools will have the edge.
Methodology
The ACI Speedpay Pulse is a longitudinal consumer billing and payment trends research study conducted by Brownstein Group in partnership with ACI Worldwide. Each ACI Speedpay Pulse data set includes responses from a survey of at least 3,000 unique respondents (no repeat participation within one year). Each survey sample is US Census-balanced among adults aged 18 and older who are responsible for submitting payments for at least two of their household’s monthly bills
