PayPal survey: crypto payments jump as 37% of big U.S. firms adopt

A PayPal–NCA survey finds nearly 4 in 10 U.S. merchants already accept crypto, with payments making up 26% of sales where offered and most expecting it to go mainstream.

Summary

• Surveying 600+ decision-makers, PayPal and the NCA found that almost 40% of U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency, and 9 in 10 have fielded customer requests.​
• Merchants that support crypto say it already accounts for around 26% of sales, with adoption strongest among large enterprises and in hospitality, travel, digital goods, and gaming.​
• While 84% expect crypto payments to go mainstream within five years, 90% want credit‑card‑level simplicity before adopting at scale, highlighting an infrastructure gap.​

Nearly four in ten U.S. merchants now accept cryptocurrency payments at checkout, driven by growing customer demand, according to a survey released by PayPal and the National Cryptocurrency Association.

New PayPal survey says Americans are much more trusting of crypto

The survey found that almost nine in ten U.S. merchants have received customer inquiries about paying with cryptocurrencies. PayPal and the NCA gathered data from more than 600 payment-strategy decision-makers across multiple industries.

“What we’re seeing both in this data and in conversations with our customers is that crypto payments are moving beyond experimentation and into everyday commerce,” said May Zabaneh, PayPal vice president and general manager. Zabaneh stated that customer demand for faster, more flexible payment options is the key driver, and merchants that begin accepting crypto tend to see meaningful benefits.

A majority of merchants surveyed (84%) believe cryptocurrency payments will become mainstream within the next five years, according to the data. Adoption is currently strongest among large enterprises at 37%, while midsized businesses stand at 32% and small businesses at 34%.

Major U.S. corporations currently accepting cryptocurrency include Starbucks, Walmart, and Home Depot, according to the report.

For merchants that already support crypto payments, these transactions account for an average of 26% of total sales, the survey found.

PayPal launched a crypto checkout tool in July that enables U.S. merchants to accept more than 100 different cryptocurrencies, the company announced.

The survey indicated that younger demographics, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, are the most active cryptocurrency users for purchases. Industries leading adoption include hospitality, travel, digital goods, and gaming, according to the data.

However, 90% of merchants surveyed said they would consider using crypto payments only if the infrastructure were as simple as accepting credit cards.

“What this data makes clear is that interest in crypto isn’t the problem; understanding is,” said Stu Alderoty, NCA president and Ripple chief legal officer.

The survey results indicate a shift in merchant attitudes toward cryptocurrency as a payment method, with infrastructure development and ease of use cited as key factors for broader adoption.