December 4, 2025
Written by: Merchant Connect UK
Choosing the right payment methods to scale your business internationally
Expanding into new regions can unlock massive growth — but only if customers can pay in the ways they prefer. Across Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the use of local payment methods (LPMs) has increasingly replaced traditional card payments.
In fact, in many markets cards are not the primary way customers pay online. If your checkout doesn’t support the local standard, you risk abandoned carts, revenue loss, and failed market launches.
This guide highlights the top local payment methods in key global regions and explains how UK and European merchants can integrate them for successful global expansion.
When entering a new country, you must account for:
Different banking infrastructures
Local regulations (AML/KYC)
Consumer payment habits
Currency conversion needs
Higher security expectations
Offering LPMs ensures:
✔ Higher checkout conversion
✔ Reduced cart abandonment
✔ More approved transactions
✔ Trust with local buyers
✔ Better fraud protection
With the right payment partner, you can make cross-border payments feel local.
Many LATAM shoppers don’t use or trust credit cards. Cash and bank-based payments dominate, especially in Brazil and Mexico.
Essential LATAM Payment Methods:
PIX (Brazil) – instant bank payments with 24/7 settlement
Boleto – barcoded payment slips, popular for paying in cash
SPEI (Mexico) – real-time bank transfers
PagoEfectivo (Peru) – cash-based digital voucher system
E-Wallets – Mercado Pago, PicPay, Payee
Why LATAM matters
Huge eCommerce growth + large unbanked population = an opportunity if you provide local options.
APAC leads the world in mobile-first digital payments. Super-apps and e-wallets dominate in emerging and developed markets alike.
Top APAC Local Payments:
Alipay (China) – e-wallet for hundreds of millions of users
WeChat Pay (China) – integrated with daily life and mini-apps
GrabPay (SEA) – popular across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines
GPay / UPI (India) – real-time bank transfer network
Konbini (Japan) – pay at convenience store counters
POLi (Australia) – bank transfers without card use
Why APAC matters
It’s the world’s fastest-growing cross-border eCommerce region — but highly fragmented, requiring specialist payment routing.
Europe is driving a move toward bank-based payments thanks to PSD2 and Open Banking.
Top European Payment Choices:
SEPA Bank Transfer – fast and low-cost euro payments
iDEAL (Netherlands) – instant online banking
Sofort / Klarna (Germany, DACH region) – preferred for online purchases
Vipps (Norway), Swish (Sweden), MobilePay (Finland/Denmark)
Open Banking (UK/EU) – secure account-to-account payments
Why Europe matters
High-income consumers, strong regulations, and demand for fast, secure digital payments.
| Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| Higher authorisation rates | Fewer declined transactions |
| Familiar checkout | Higher buyer trust |
| Multi-currency support | Expand without opening local entities |
| Better compliance | Meet regional financial rules |
| Lower fees | Reduce card scheme & FX costs |
This approach allows UK merchants to compete globally — without the complexity of setting up local banking.
Before going global, ask:
✔ Which countries are your highest-value targets?
✔ Do those markets rely more on cash, cards, or bank transfers?
✔ Are there regulatory restrictions for your industry?
✔ Do you need multi-currency and local settlement?
✔ Is fraud prevention included at the payment level?
The right payment partner will guide you through currency routing, licensing, settlement flows, and fraud controls.
Merchant Connect specialises in high-risk and cross-border merchant services for:
Digital commerce
Forex & crypto
Subscriptions
High-risk verticals
We help UK and European businesses integrate the local payment methods that matter — with:
✔ One connection to multiple regional acquirers
✔ Bank transfers, wallets, vouchers & card optimisation
✔ Local-currency settlement
✔ Enhanced security & regulatory compliance
✔ Transparent pricing
Whether you’re entering Brazil, Mexico, India, Singapore, Germany, or beyond — we make global expansion simple, compliant, and profitable.
Going global isn’t just about localisation — it’s about localising payments. By offering local payment options in LATAM, APAC, and Europe, you unlock:
More conversions
More new markets
More approved payments
More trust
If you’re planning international expansion in 2025, Merchant Connect can help you integrate the right payment methods for each region — quickly and securely.
👉 Ready to go global? Contact our team today to get started.