US Consumers Are Divided On Their Tap-To-Pay Method Preferences

Contamination fears during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic finally drove many US consumers to adopt contactless payments. But this shift spurred debate over whether this new behavior would also drive US consumers to adopt mobile payments en masse or whether they’d stick with their cards for tapping. The jury is still out: In Forrester’s May 2025 Consumer Pulse Survey, US online adults were divided on whether they preferred their mobile device over their cards for in-store tap-to-pay purchases. That said, a subtle generational difference exists: Younger consumers prefer to use their mobile devices to tap to pay when compared with their older counterparts.