Checkout.com releases Digital Economy Trust Index

Global digital payments company Checkout.com has launched its inaugural Digital Economy Trust Index, which measures and ranks 16 countries for consumer confidence in digital platforms. The report contains key insights into biometrics, digital IDs and consumer trust.

The report found that a third of all under 45s are using biometrics to verify transactions. It found that more than half of consumers, and nearly 60 percent of Gen Z, believe their digital ID will be their main payment method in the future.

Nearly half – 48 percent – believe that merging ID verification with payments would be the key to making online transactions feel more secure, with 54 percent of Millennials believing so. Overall, 43 percent of consumers would like to have a digital ID wallet, with interest highest in the Middle East and Asia.

“A persistent, portable digital ID could serve as a trust anchor across channels, platforms, and use cases,” the report says. “A new layer of assurance, enabling agent-led commerce without losing sight of the consumer – many of whom already seem prepared for a future where their digital ID becomes their payment method.” The report argues that cross-border interoperability is a “pressing challenge” for regulators looking to unlock the full potential of digital ID.

The Trust In The Digital Economy 2025 report analyzed responses from 18,000 respondents in 16 countries, including China, the U.S., Brazil, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Australia, among others. Checkout.com partnered with YouGov to survey adults and understand what drives trust in the digital economy and the brands that operate within it.

The report’s ranking reveals a “strong direct correlation” between consumer trust in the digital economy and individual country GDP growth rates between 2014 and 2024, according to Checkout.com. China topped the Index ranking with a trust rating of 8.6 out of 10, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Surprisingly, considering high rates of digitization and ecommerce use, Japan came in last with an overall trust rating of just 2.6.

China scored full marks on trust in an array of aspects of the digital economy, such as in new payment methods, biometric security, and a belief that new technology makes payments safer. Checkout.com says this seems to indicate a mature technology infrastructure, cultural openness to digital innovation and a supportive regulatory environment.

Meanwhile, the Middle East showed high levels of trust in the digital economy, with the UAE, KSA and Egypt taking second, third and fourth place in the Index, respectively. These countries have high trust in biometrics, blockchain and AI.

Europe and North America lagged in trust in the digital economy, particularly regarding trust in blockchain, biometric security and AI tools. Britons are especially concerned about being scammed by deepfakes when shopping online, and having their image stolen and used for deepfakes while online shopping.

All European countries scored “very low” on digital wallet usage – while China scored 10 out 10 – demonstrating a significant adoption gap between east and west, as the European Union is working on an EU Digital Identity Wallet. Spain led among EU countries in the Trust Index, while France had the second lowest overall trust score, scoring higher only than Japan. German consumers were found to be confident in consumer protections but cybersecurity and privacy are significant trust barriers.

New Zealand was found to be a “quiet frontrunner” in trust outside of financial technology as it scored highest in trust for digital ID and AI among developed economies. Brazil’s emergence was singled out as a “fintech powerhouse” with high trust in digital money management and strong gig economy participation likely fuelled by a young population and investment in and adoption of new digital payments technology, such as Pix. This reflects the leapfrog effect in payments, Checkout.com said, where mature, card-based economies are falling behind emerging markets that have moved faster toward digital wallets. This can be seen in China where digital wallet use, with the likes of WeChat Pay and Alipay, is ubiquitous.

“The digital economy is the economy of the future, and the future is arriving quickly,” said Checkout.com COO Jenny Hadlow. “As such, governments and businesses urgently need to work together to increase trust in the digital economy and educate consumers on safe behaviors online to stimulate economic growth.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Checkout.com  |  consumer adoption  |  digital economy  |  digital identity  |  digital payments  |  digital trust