Paying with a mobile phone has become part of everyday life. A quick gesture—no need to pull out a card or type in details. For many people, it’s already the most convenient way to pay, both online and in physical stores.

Digital wallets, also known as e-wallets, are a direct response to that shift in habits. And when the way people pay changes, businesses have to adapt. It’s not just about offering more options—it’s about making it easier for customers to pay the way they expect to.

Let’s take a look at what a digital wallet is and how it can benefit an online store. Especially if you’re considering offering it as a payment method.

What is a digital wallet?

A digital wallet is an app that lets users manage and make payments from a digital device, usually a mobile phone. It can be linked to a card, a bank account, or work with a stored balance. Its goal is to simplify the payment step, so the user doesn’t have to manually enter their details every time.

There are different types of digital wallets, depending on how they work and what they allow users to do:

• Stored-value digital wallets
  These allow users to load money into the app and pay directly from that balance. They often include features like peer-to-peer transfers or currency conversion.
  Examples: PayPal, Skrill, Neteller.

• Digital wallets linked to cards
  These don’t store any money. The user pays through the wallet, but the charge is made to a card previously saved on their device. This also means they don’t need to enter their card details on the site—or even have the card physically with them.
  Examples: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay.

What are the advantages for a business?

Offering a digital wallet as a payment method is a way to adapt to how people buy today. And when it’s implemented properly, it can improve the payment experience—and help boost conversions as a result.

Here are a few clear advantages:

• Faster payments, fewer abandoned carts
  The payment step is critical. If the user has to pull out a card, find the CVV, or manually fill in details, they’re more likely to postpone the purchase… and might not come back. A digital wallet removes that friction: the customer confirms the payment on their phone, and that’s it.

• Better performance on mobile
  More and more users shop directly from their phones, and digital wallets fit naturally in that flow. They help simplify the payment step, which on mobile is often more limited by screen size or usability.

• Builds trust—especially for first-time buyers
  When a customer doesn’t need to share sensitive data like their card details, it lowers the barrier to purchase. That added sense of security can make a difference, especially if they don’t know your brand yet or they’re buying from another country.

• Access to new customer segments
  More users now prefer to pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal—especially on mobile. And in some markets, if you don’t offer options like Alipay or WeChat Pay, it’s easy to be overlooked.

How to choose the right digital wallet

Not all digital wallets work the same way. That’s why it’s important to choose based on who your customers are, where you operate, and what you actually need the wallet to do.

Here are some questions to help you decide:

• Are your payments domestic, international, or both?
  For example, if you sell internationally, you’ll likely need options like PayPal (widely used around the world) or Alipay.

• Are your customers used to this kind of payment method?
  If you’re targeting a younger audience or customers who are used to shopping online, methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal are often among their preferred choices. In more traditional markets, cards are still dominant—but that’s starting to change.

• Do you need the digital wallet to store balance or just simplify card payments?
  Some options like PayPal allow users to pay from a preloaded balance. Others, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, simply connect to an existing card and streamline the process.

• How does it fit into your current setup?
  If you're already using Zru, there's no need for any extra integration. Supported digital wallets are available directly from your dashboard and can be enabled easily.

Conclusion

Digital wallets have become a common way to pay for many users. Shopping from your phone, confirming with a fingerprint or facial recognition—and that’s it. It’s quick, practical, and increasingly preferred.

For businesses, adapting to that reality means improving the experience right at the point where the customer is about to pay. The easier and smoother that step is, the more likely it is the sale will go through.

That doesn’t mean you need to activate every available method—just choose carefully and think about your audience.

And if you’re already using Zru, the process is straightforward: digital wallets can be enabled from the dashboard, without writing a single line of code. You decide which ones make sense for your business and activate them whenever you need.