Croats spend more than four hours a day on their mobile phones, 80 percent want to pay with their phones

More than 80 percent of citizens want to pay with their mobile phones, according to the MasterIndex research conducted for Mastercard in Croatia by the Improve agency in October last year. The research also showed that as many as 97 percent of citizens find it important for merchants to offer various payment methods, primarily cards, but also cash, mobile applications, digital wallets, and cryptocurrencies. At the same time, 87 percent of respondents find it important for brands to offer their products online.

Payment Method Preferences

It is important for citizens that various payment methods are offered in stores. The most popular are card payments (85%), cash payments (67%), and payments via mobile applications (54%). One-third prefer digital wallets, while general payment slips, QR codes, and cryptocurrencies are less popular. Card payments are a more common choice among younger, highly educated individuals and those with higher incomes.

At the same time, when asked which methods they would like to use for payments, citizens would – alongside mobile payments highlighted by 82 percent of respondents – like to pay with a smartwatch (24%) and an ID card (17%), while biometrics ranks fourth (11%).

Preferences and Frequency of Digital Device Use Vary

The results correlate with habits related to the use of digital devices. Thus, the majority of citizens actively use devices such as smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and tablets daily. The average time spent on these devices varies – 4.1 hours on smartphones, 3.7 hours on laptops or desktops, two hours in front of smart TVs, and 27 minutes daily on tablets. Women use mobile phones more frequently (4.5 hours) and young people under 29 years (5.2 hours), and compared to last year, the use of computers and tablets has increased.

– Our country has stood out as a leader in digital payments according to Mastercard’s Digital Payment Index for 2021 and 2022. Through this research, we provide a comprehensive overview of the development of digital payment solutions in the country, highlighting key trends related to their adoption. Croatia achieved a high score of 64 on a scale of 100, surpassing other countries in the region – emphasized Gea Kariž, Mastercard’s director in Croatia.

– With significant progress in areas of infrastructure, knowledge, and the use of digital payments, we have recorded a strong increase in online card transactions, both in number (30%) and value (48%) over the past three years. At the same time, cash usage is declining – she added.

Opportunities for Enhancing Digitalization

The research also showed that satisfaction with digitalization is growing, with nearly half of respondents (49%) expressing satisfaction with the expansion of digital services and tools in Croatia. However, 16% of respondents express dissatisfaction – with dissatisfaction decreasing by 4 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Citizens would like to see more innovations and digital services in the healthcare sector (51% of respondents) and public administration (32%), followed by public transport, education, and justice. Fewer respondents highlight these needs compared to the previous year when, for example, 70 percent of respondents sought digital services in healthcare, and 48 percent in public administration. Young people aged 18-29 more frequently emphasize the need for the digitalization of public transport (33%), education (27%), retail (24%), and telecommunications (15%). The average satisfaction rating for the expansion of digital services and tools in the country has slightly increased to 3.4, but has not reached the level from 2020 during the lockdown when it was 3.5.