Mobile wallet use growing fast, research finds

Apple Pay is far and away the leader for mobile wallet transactions, according to new research from Auriemma Consulting Group. The app accounts for 77 percent of mobile wallet transactions, while competitors Samsung Pay and Google Pay account for just 17 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

Mainly, it's a numbers game: Of the "big three" Pays, Apple Pay was first to market and has seen higher adoption, particularly among debit card users.

"The high adoption rate among debit card users may come down to demographics," said Anita Solaman, director of the debit management roundtable, Auriemma's information-sharing group for product executives. "Apple users skew younger, and younger consumers are more likely to be debit users."

While Apple Pay has the largest market share, Samsung Pay users are the most engaged, averaging 7.3 transactions per month, compared with 5.5 transactions for Apple Pay and Google Pay.

This likely is due to the fact that Samsung Pay interfaces with both NFC and mag stripe readers, while Apple Pay and Google Pay only work with NFC readers.

Despite growth, mobile payments are still a niche product, making up just 0.6 percent of debit card transactions in Q2. But the category is growing fast; debit transactions via mobile wallets increased 75 percent year-over-year, according to Auriemma.

"Roadmaps for 2019 are all about digital, friction removal, and customer experience," Solaman said. "For many debit card issuers, mobile wallets are a key part of that strategy."