dLocal Report: 71% of Emerging Market Shoppers Abandon Carts Without Local Payment Methods

dLocal’s latest research into the Global South reveals a stark reality for cross-border merchants: local payment integration is no longer a luxury but a prerequisite for survival. With 71% of consumers abandoning carts lacking local currency or payment options, fintech providers must prioritize hyper-localization to capture the massive demographic shift occurring in emerging markets.

What was announced

The report, "The Next Wave of Global Consumers," analyzes shopping behaviors across seven high-growth economies: Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya, and Nigeria. Based on a survey of 1,358 consumers, the data indicates that 99% of respondents consider the availability of local payment methods a significant factor in their purchasing decisions. The research identifies specific friction points that lead to high abandonment rates. For instance, 39% of shoppers cited the absence of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options as a primary barrier, while 37% pointed to a lack of alternative payment methods (APMs) such as e-wallets, bank transfers, mobile payments, or prepaid cards. Furthermore, one in five consumers will leave a site if products are not priced in their local currency.

These findings come amid a significant global economic pivot. By 2035, emerging markets are projected to drive 65% of global economic growth. The demographic weight is also shifting; by 2027, nearly 90% of the world’s Millennial and Gen Z populations are expected to reside in these regions. The seven surveyed nations are situated in territories that will account for the majority of the world’s population growth within a single generation, making them the primary battleground for global e-commerce and digital financial services.

"The availability of local payment methods is a critical factor for market entry and conversion."

dLocal research report, "The Next Wave of Global Consumers."

The companies involved

dLocal is a specialized payment platform focused on connecting global enterprise merchants with billions of consumers in emerging markets. The company facilitates cross-border transactions by providing a single integrated API that handles local payments, including credit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets, across diverse geographies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Unlike traditional payment processors that focus on established Western markets, dLocal’s infrastructure is built specifically to navigate the fragmented regulatory and technical landscapes of the Global South. The firm has established itself as a key intermediary for multinational corporations looking to scale their operations without the need to establish separate local entities or manage multiple disparate payment integrations in each territory. By bridging the gap between global merchants and local payment preferences, the company addresses the specific conversion hurdles identified in its recent consumer research. Its market position is defined by its ability to manage the complexities of local currency settlements and compliance across dozens of different jurisdictions through a unified technical interface.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has followed dLocal’s expansion and technological developments extensively, with 62 stories covering the firm’s trajectory. Recently, the publication reported on how Oscilar and dLocal Partner to Scale Cross-Border Payments Compliance with Agentic AI, highlighting the company's move toward automated risk management. The firm’s collaborative efforts were also seen when dLocal and Yuno Expand Partnership to Simplify Global Expansion for Modern Enterprises in Emerging Markets. Product innovation remains a core focus, as seen when dLocal Now Offers Global Merchants Access to Brazil’s “Pix With Biometrics”, Redefining the Mobile Payment Experience. Additionally, the company’s industry standing was recognized at the FF Awards 2025 - The Results Are in! Congratulations to All the Winners!.

What this means

This data signals a definitive end to the "one-size-fits-all" approach to global e-commerce. As the economic center of gravity shifts toward the Global South, the competitive pressure on Western merchants to adopt fragmented local stacks will intensify. The high demand for BNPL and e-wallets in these regions suggests that credit card-centric models are becoming obsolete in high-growth markets. Payment service providers that cannot offer deep localization—covering both currency and specific regional methods like Pix or mobile money—risk being shut out of the world's most significant growth engine. The industry must now grapple with the technical debt of legacy systems that struggle to support these diverse, high-velocity payment ecosystems.