A survey by consulting company Mercator Advisory Group found a resurgence in the use of mobile payment systems in the US, marking a turnaround after a two-year decline.

Data gathered from 3,002 US adults in June showed the use of all mobile wallets, including retailer-specific payment systems such as those offered by Starbucks and Walmart, had grown to 60 per cent in 2019 from 48 per cent at the same point in 2018.

The trend held when the use of universal payment systems including Apple Pay and Google Pay was analysed in isolation.

Use of built-in payment systems from online service providers including Uber and Airbnb also increased, from 28 per cent to 36 per cent.

The year-on-year rise in overall usage reversed years of decline, from a usage level of 53 per cent in Mercator Advisory Group’s 2016 research.

Peter Reville, director of Primary Data Services, explained early adopters of mobile payment systems “may have encountered spotty acceptance of mobile payments and app difficulties and stopped using them”.

He added the resurgence of usage in 2019 reflects “increased acceptance at the point of sale, increased online use and increased customer comfort.”