When a guest is ready to check out, your payment experience becomes the make-or-break moment. A smooth, flexible payment flow builds trust, boosts conversions, and increases average order value. But a slow, limited, or outdated payment experience? That’s how bookings get abandoned, revenue gets lost, and guest frustration begins.
ROLLER’s 2026 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report is packed with insights from hundreds of thousands of data points from more than 3,000 venues worldwide. The report reveals major shifts in how guests prefer to pay, and what operators can do to stay ahead.
In this article, we’re diving into the key payment trends shaping 2026 and how they can influence revenue, guest satisfaction, and long-term loyalty at your venue.
1. Digital wallets continue to climb
Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are becoming a standard expectation, not an optional extra. In fact, 24% of all online transactions now come from digital wallets, up from 17.8% last year. This rapid growth reflects a broader shift toward seamless, secure payment experiences.
Wallet adoption is rising across all regions, with especially strong growth in EMEA and APAC. And it’s not just about convenience: guests who pay with digital wallets complete purchases faster and spend more in the process.
Actionable insight: If your online checkout isn’t optimized for Apple Pay and Google Pay, you’re leaving revenue on the table. Supporting digital wallets reduces friction, speeds up conversions, and meets modern guest expectations.
2. Flexible payment options drive the highest basket sizes
This year’s data shows that the more flexibility you offer guests at checkout, the more they spend. Payment methods that reduce friction and increase confidence, like Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) and digital wallets, consistently deliver the highest basket sizes across all transactions.
BNPL transactions have the highest average order value of all payment types ($128.70 per transaction), making them the top-performing payment type for revenue.
Digital wallets sit in second place with a $77.10 average basket, which is still nearly double the basket size of traditional credit card payments.
Why the lift? Flexible payments give guests the freedom to pay the way that suits them, whether that means paying in installments, tapping to pay instantly, or choosing modern digital methods that feel seamless and trustworthy.
Actionable insight: Make flexible payment options highly visible in your checkout. Whether it’s BNPL, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or other digital methods, clear payment choice gives guests confidence, and unlocks bigger basket sizes.
3. Better authorization rates mean fewer failed payments
Failed payments represent lost revenue, frustrated guests, and more support overhead.
The good news is that authorization rates improved this year, rising from 95.00% to 95.21%. Even a small lift makes a measurable difference when you're processing thousands of transactions each month.
Higher authorization rates also reduce failures for scheduled payments, including memberships and recurring revenue streams, making your financials more stable over time.
Actionable insight: If you’re noticing declines or failed payments, audit your payment gateway. Smooth payment routing and optimized authentication flows reduce failed transactions and increase conversions.
4. Service-fee practices vary significantly across regions
Surcharging remains a highly regional, and often regulated, practice. According to this year’s report:
- 1.3% of EMEA venues pass card fees to guests
- 22.7% of AMER venues do so
- 31.8% of APAC venues charge service fees
- 14.7% global average
Many operators avoid surcharging to reduce friction and protect guest satisfaction, while others use it strategically to offset rising operational costs.
Actionable insight: If you choose to implement a surcharge, be transparent and ensure compliance with local regulations. If not, consider embedding processing fees into your pricing structure to keep the checkout experience smooth.
5. Tipping patterns reveal major upside for F&B and mobile ordering
In the U.S., tipping varies widely across venues, but the data shows clear momentum where food and beverage is involved.
- F&B venues see tips make up 8.7% of total revenue, compared to 1.09% for non-F&B venues.
- Mobile F&B orders carry a 25.2% tip rate, versus just 1.9% at POS.
Mobile orders prompt guests more clearly, offer preset tipping options, and give guests time to choose a tip without pressure, all of which drive stronger tip rates.
Actionable insight: If you are in the U.S. and offer food and beverage options, enabling mobile ordering and tipping can drive meaningful revenue and support staff happiness.
Key takeaways for optimizing payments in 2026
Payments are a core driver of revenue, guest experience, and operational efficiency.
To optimize your payments process:
- Support digital wallets
- Offer flexible payment options like BNPL
- Reduce failed transactions through strong authorization routing
- Approach surcharges thoughtfully
- Encourage mobile F&B ordering and tipping
A smooth, flexible payment experience builds trust, reduces friction, and drives more successful checkouts, and more revenue.
Ready for the full 2026 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report?
These insights are just a glimpse of what’s inside the full Benchmark Report. This year’s edition includes deep dives into bookings, parties, payments, memberships, F&B, guest experience trends, and region-specific performance insights.
Whether you're looking to reduce friction at checkout, understand how your venue compares across your region, or identify new growth opportunities for the year ahead, the Benchmark Report is designed to help you make smarter, more confident decisions.
Download your free copy of the 2026 Attractions Industry Benchmark Report today.
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