How people pay in the United States in 2026
The United States runs on cards. According to the Federal Reserve 2025 Payments Study, Americans made 236.6 billion noncash payments in 2024 and cards accounted for over three quarters of them. Credit cards are pulling ahead in everyday use. The 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice counts 16 credit card payments, 15 debit card payments and 6 cash payments in an average month of 2025, out of 47 in total. Behind the scenes, money moves on bank rails. ACH carried 35.2 billion payments worth $93 trillion in 2025, and Zelle sent more than $1.2 trillion between bank accounts.
The landscape is changing at the edges. Instant payments on The Clearing House RTP network and the Federal Reserve's FedNow Service are growing fast, Capital One is moving its cards onto the Discover network after buying it in 2025, and wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and Cash App sit on top of cards and bank accounts. BNPL providers Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay and PayPal Pay Later are standard at online checkouts. For merchants and their payment providers, the US means card acceptance first, with smart debit routing, wallets and pay by bank close behind.
- 236.6 billion noncash payments in 2024 (Federal Reserve)
- 35.2 billion ACH payments in 2025 (Nacha)
- $1.2 trillion sent with Zelle in 2025 (Zelle)
- 1 in 7 consumer payments made in cash in 2025 (Federal Reserve Financial Services)
Payment by card in the United States
Cards are the default way to pay in the US, in stores and online. The Federal Reserve Payments Study counts 187.7 billion card payments worth $11.5 trillion in 2024: 99.3 billion on debit cards, 67.1 billion on credit cards and 21.3 billion on prepaid cards. Credit is gaining ground, up from 51.0 billion payments in 2021, and credit card payments grew faster than debit for the first time in almost a decade. Rewards drive that shift. Rewards cards made up 92% of general purpose credit card purchase volume in the CFPB's 2025 report, and 38% of consumers now prefer credit cards in person, up from 24% in 2016.
Visa and Mastercard lead, with American Express and Discover as three-party networks. Discover is now owned by Capital One, which moved about 25 million debit cards to the Discover network after the deal closed in May 2025. Debit runs on a second layer of networks, such as STAR, Accel, PULSE and NYCE. Under the Durbin Amendment and Regulation II, large issuers' debit interchange fees are capped at 21 cents plus 0.05%, and every debit card must carry at least two unaffiliated networks, including for online payments, according to Visa. That makes debit routing a real cost lever, as our article on payment routing explains.
Card schemes in the United States
Visa
International scheme
The largest card brand in the US, used on most debit cards and many credit cards for in-store, online and recurring payments.
Mastercard
International scheme
The second scheme in the US, strong on credit and debit cards from large banks, fintechs and co-brand partners such as Venmo.
American Express
Three-party network
Amex issues its own premium rewards and charge cards and runs its own acceptance network, popular with travelers, high spenders and corporate card programs.
92% share of general purpose credit card purchase volume on rewards cards in 2024, all networks, CFPB data summarized by Orrick
Discover
Domestic network
Discover's card network now belongs to Capital One, which is moving its own debit and some credit cards onto Discover rails to save on network fees.
25 million Capital One debit cards converted to the Discover network by July 2026, PaymentsJournal
STAR and Accel
PIN debit network
Fiserv's debit networks, used as alternative routes for PIN, PINless and online debit transactions under Regulation II routing rules.
300 million+ cardholders reached by STAR and Accel across the US and Canada, Fiserv
PULSE
PIN debit network
Debit network now in the Capital One and Discover group, serving cardholders of thousands of US institutions with PIN, PINless online debit and account credit transfers.
Payment by cash in the United States
Cash is no longer the main way Americans pay, but it holds third place. In the 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, cash covered about 1 in 7 payments in 2025, the sixth year in a row behind credit and debit cards. Four in five consumers used cash in the previous 30 days, 76% carried it with an average of $69, and 90% plan to keep using it. Rural residents made nine cash payments a month, against six for urban and suburban consumers, and lower-income households and people aged 55 and over rely on it most. Online, there is no strong cash on delivery habit.
Paper checks are the other legacy instrument. The Federal Reserve Payments Study counts 9.2 billion check payments worth $24.5 trillion in 2024, down from 11.0 billion in 2021. Checks remain common for rent, contractors and business payments, where they are slowly replaced by ACH and instant payments.
Cash payment methods in the United States
Cash
Banknotes and coins
US dollar banknotes and coins remain a daily fallback for small purchases, budgeting and people without bank accounts or cards.
1 in 7 consumer payments made in cash in 2025, Federal Reserve Financial Services
Paper checks
Paper check
Checks are still used for rent, home services and business-to-business invoices, though their number keeps falling each year.
9.2 billion check payments worth $24.5 trillion in 2024, Federal Reserve Payments Study
Payment by bank transfer in the United States
The ACH Network, governed by Nacha, is the backbone of US bank payments, from payroll to bill pay and online debits. It processed 35.2 billion payments worth $93 trillion in 2025, up almost 5% in volume. Same Day ACH reached 1.4 billion payments worth $3.9 trillion, and 11.4 billion internet-initiated debits show how much e-commerce and bill pay already rely on bank accounts. Pay by bank providers such as Trustly and Plaid build on these debits to offer account-to-account payments at checkout.
Instant payments are catching up. The RTP network of The Clearing House set a record of 2.27 million transactions worth $8.62 billion on May 1, 2026, with a $10 million transaction limit. The Federal Reserve's FedNow Service settled 6.4 million payments worth $370.9 billion in Q3 2026. For consumers, instant transfers mostly mean Zelle, which is built into bank apps and moved $1.2 trillion across 4.2 billion transactions in 2025. Its standalone app closed on April 1, 2025.
Bank transfer methods in the United States
ACH
Bank transfer network
The batch network behind direct deposit, bill pay, subscriptions and online bank debits, governed by Nacha and operated by the Federal Reserve and The Clearing House.
35.2 billion ACH payments worth $93 trillion in 2025, Nacha
Same Day ACH
Same-day transfer
A faster ACH option that settles payments several times a day, used for payroll, urgent bills and faster merchant payouts.
1.4 billion Same Day ACH payments worth $3.9 trillion in 2025, up 16.7%, Nacha
RTP
Instant payment
The Clearing House's 24/7 real-time network, owned by large banks, used for payouts, bill pay, tax refunds and account-to-account transfers up to $10 million.
$481 billion RTP payment value in Q2 2025, with more than 1,000 banks and credit unions live, The Title Report
FedNow
Instant payment
The Federal Reserve's instant payment service, launched in 2023, used by banks and credit unions for 24/7 account-to-account transfers.
6.4 million FedNow payments worth $370.9 billion settled in Q3 2026, Federal Reserve Financial Services
Zelle
Bank P2P network
Bank-owned person-to-person payments built into more than 2,300 bank and credit union apps, increasingly used to pay small businesses.
4.2 billion Zelle transactions worth $1.2 trillion in 2025, Zelle
Trustly
Pay by bank
Pay by bank provider that lets shoppers pay from their bank account at online checkouts, available to US merchants through PSPs such as Spreedly.
$100 billion total payment value processed by Trustly worldwide in 2024, Trustly via Business Wire
Payment by installment and BNPL in the United States
Buy now, pay later is a mainstream checkout option in the US, sitting next to credit cards rather than replacing them. Affirm, the largest US player, facilitated $50.2 billion of GMV in its fiscal year to June 2026 at about 571,000 active merchants, and 70% of that came from interest-bearing monthly installment loans. Klarna's US GMV reached $7.9 billion in Q2 2026, up 27%, 22% of its global total. PayPal's Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly handled more than $40 billion of BNPL volume in 2025, and Block ties Afterpay to the Cash App Card.
Federal oversight has loosened. The CFPB rule that treated BNPL lenders like credit card issuers was withdrawn on May 12, 2025, along with dozens of other guidance documents. States are filling the gap. New York has enacted a Buy-Now-Pay-Later Act that requires licensing, and Affirm says in its 2026 annual report that it is assessing how the law applies to its products.
Installment and BNPL providers in the United States
Affirm
BNPL
US leader offering Pay in 4 at 0% APR and monthly installments up to 36% APR at checkout, plus the Affirm Card, a debit card that can split purchases.
$50.2 billion GMV in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026, Affirm 10-K
Klarna
BNPL
Swedish BNPL provider whose US business is its fastest growing large region, with pay in 4 and financing, and new partners such as J.P. Morgan Payments and Stripe.
$7.9 billion US GMV in Q2 2026, up 27% year on year, Klarna
Afterpay
BNPL
Block's pay in 4 brand, offered at online and in-store checkouts and through the Cash App Card, where BNPL reached 17% of eligible card spend in June 2026.
$18.9 billion Block consumer lending originations, including Afterpay BNPL and Cash App Borrow, in Q2 2026, Block
PayPal Pay Later
Wallet BNPL
PayPal's Pay in 4 for purchases of $10 to $2,000 and Pay Monthly for $49 to $10,000, shown inside the PayPal checkout at no extra cost to merchants.
$40 billion+ PayPal BNPL payment volume worldwide in 2025, up more than 20%, PayPal
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in the United States
US wallets come in two flavors. X-Pay wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay tokenize existing Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover cards for contactless and in-app payments. Stored-balance and P2P apps such as PayPal, Venmo and Cash App connect cards and bank accounts and increasingly work as checkout buttons and debit cards. PayPal processed $486.4 billion of payments in Q2 2026 across 439 million active accounts worldwide, and Venmo generated $1.7 billion of revenue in 2025, up about 20%.
Cash App is Block's consumer app, with 59 million monthly transacting actives in June 2026 and 9.4 million primary banking actives. Wallets often sit on top of cards, so their volume is counted in card statistics, and the Federal Reserve diary does not report a separate figure for mobile wallets. For merchants, offering these buttons is mostly about conversion, and our guide to Apple Pay integration covers the technical side.
Digital wallets and X-Pay in the United States
Apple Pay
Mobile wallet
Apple's wallet for contactless payments with iPhone and Apple Watch, and one-click payments in Safari and apps, widely accepted at US terminals.
Google Pay
Mobile wallet
Google's wallet for tap-to-pay on Android phones and fast checkout on the web, using tokenized US cards.
PayPal
Digital wallet
The most widespread online checkout button in the US, funded by card, bank account or balance, with Pay Later options built in.
439 million PayPal active accounts worldwide in Q2 2026, PayPal
Venmo
P2P wallet
PayPal's social P2P app, used to split bills and pay friends, with Pay with Venmo at online checkouts, a debit card and a credit card.
$1.7 billion Venmo revenue in 2025, up about 20%, PayPal
Cash App
P2P wallet
Block's app for P2P transfers, banking, the Cash App Card and Cash App Pay at online checkouts, and a growing base of customers who bank with it.
59 million Cash App monthly transacting actives in June 2026, Block
Payments in the United States: FAQ
What is the most popular payment method in the United States?
Cards. Consumers made 16 credit card and 15 debit card payments in an average month of 2025, two thirds of all payments, according to the 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice. Debit still leads by total transactions, with 99.3 billion payments in 2024 against 67.1 billion on credit cards.
Do Americans still pay with cash and checks?
Yes. Cash covered about 1 in 7 consumer payments in 2025, and 90% of consumers plan to keep using it, according to the Federal Reserve. Checks are declining but still counted 9.2 billion payments in 2024.
Does the United States have instant payments?
Yes, on two networks. The Clearing House RTP network set a record of 2.27 million transactions in one day in May 2026, and the Federal Reserve's FedNow Service settled 6.4 million payments in Q3 2026. Zelle provides near-instant transfers between bank customers inside banking apps.
How is BNPL regulated in the United States?
Mostly through general consumer credit law and state rules. The CFPB withdrew its BNPL interpretive rule in May 2025, and New York has passed its own Buy-Now-Pay-Later Act requiring providers to be licensed. Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay and PayPal Pay Later are the main providers.
Accept local payments in the United States with NORBr
In the United States, merchants accept cards through acquirers such as Fiserv and Global Payments, which now owns Worldpay, with Stripe, Braintree and Cybersource common online. Check debit routing, ACH and RTP or FedNow support, interchange optimization and digital wallets.
With NORBr, you can connect any acquirer, PSP or local provider that offers cards from Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover, ACH and instant payments, PayPal, Venmo and BNPL such as Affirm and Klarna. Some are already in our connector catalog; Mapper™ gets the others live in days, and Smart Checkout shows each shopper the right methods. Explore the other #PayWorldTour guides.
Local payment providers in the United States
Stripe
PSP
San Francisco-founded payment platform serving online businesses from startups to large enterprises, with acquiring, billing and embedded payments for platforms.
Covers: Cards, ACH Direct Debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay
Fiserv (Clover)
Acquirer
One of the largest US merchant acquirers, serving small businesses through its Clover point-of-sale platform and larger merchants through enterprise processing.
Covers: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, STAR / Accel debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Worldpay
Acquirer
Large US merchant acquirer and processor serving enterprise and e-commerce merchants, acquired by Global Payments in January 2026.
Covers: Cards, Debit networks, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal
Braintree
Payment gateway
PayPal-owned gateway serving online and mobile merchants, combining card acceptance with PayPal and Venmo checkout.
Covers: Cards, PayPal, Venmo, PayPal Pay Later, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH
Cybersource
Payment gateway
Visa-owned payment gateway serving mid-size and enterprise merchants, with fraud management and connections to many US acquirers.
Covers: Cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Click to Pay
Square
Aggregator
Block's payment facilitator for small and mid-size US sellers, combining point-of-sale hardware, online checkout and invoices.
Covers: Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, Afterpay
