According to an online survey conducted by The Network International in co-ordination with YouGov during Q2 2015, only 4% of those surveyed said they currently purchase goods using a mobile device, although a large majority of 57% said they would be comfortable using a smart phone to pay for goods and services.
In the US alone mobile payment is expected to expand from USD 52 billion in 2014 to USD 142 billion by 2019. Among the remaining 20% who prefer to shop using cards, credit card continued to remain the top priority. About 29% of the respondents said they do not have a credit card. About 16% using a credit said they use it more than four times a week while about 17% use it about 2-3 times a week and just over a third (37%) said they use a credit card once or less than once a week.
Among the marginal debit card users only 12% use it regularly (more than four times a week) with one in six residents (15%) using it 2-3 times a week. Over half of UAE residents (51%) said they only use their debit card once or less than once a week. More than a fifth of the surveyed UAE residents (22%) said they do not have a debit card.
The survey also gives a demographic breakdown of usage. According to it, Asian residents are the lead credit card users with 25% using between 2-5 times a week, followed by Arab expats (22%), Westerners (25%) and Emiratis (18%). Western users on the other hand are the most frequent users of debit cards, with 30% using their cards between 2-5 times per week. Arab expats were the next most frequent debit card users (23%), followed by Asians (18%) and Emiratis (17%).
According to the report, UAE residents perceive cash to be quicker, safer and offering more control on spending than using a debit or credit card.
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