New technologies driving new conversations on payments

Today more than ever, people are living an increasingly digital — and mobile — life, and they expect their ability to pay for their needs to match that same “always on” mindset, according to social media conversations identified in the 2019 edition of the Mastercard Digital Payments Study.

Mobile payments represented more than 30 per cent of the total social media conversation around payments in the Middle East and Africa, with total mentions doubling over the prior year.

Now in its sixth year, the study, developed in partnership with PRIME Research, analysed more than 3.3 million conversations globally and 90,000 conversations in the Middle East and Africa from the past year across social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Weibo.

Today, nearly 20 per cent of all mobile commerce payments are focused on contactless payments and mobile wallets, and people are increasingly positive toward these newer technologies.

In the Middle East and Africa, virtually all (95 per cent) mobile wallet conversations were favourable, with 22 per cent of posts praising.