One in five Brazilians abandons online travel purchases if card is declined, says Nuvei

In Brazil, 19% of Brazilian travelers immediately abandon online travel purchases if their card is declined – the global average abandonment rate is 5%. If their preferred payment method is unavailable, 65% of Brazilians are also highly likely to abandon purchases, reflecting the high expectations shaped by the instant and integrated payment experience of Pix. Brazilian payment behavior in the travel sector was identified in the survey “The Decisive Conversion Moment: How Simple and Agile Payments Transform Global Traveler Revenue.”, conducted by the global payments fintech Nuvei in partnership with the international consultancy Edgar, Dunn & Company (EDC), specialized in payments and financial services.

The study provides a comparative panel between countries with radically different profiles in terms of maturity, consumer behavior, and payment infrastructure to support strategic decisions of global companies on how to operate in each type of market. Besides Brazil, which created one of the world's largest instant payment ecosystems with Pix, the following were considered: the United States, for being the largest global tourism market and a benchmark in transaction volume, payment method diversity, and card predominance; the United Kingdom, a British financial hub and mature market in open banking and digital wallets; Hong Kong, an Asian model with high penetration of mobile device applications and superapps; and Spain, relevant in the European Union with strong adoption of domestic payment solutions and high tourist volume.

The study's objective is to guide global companies in projecting digital consumer behavior patterns on a global scale and adjusting their e-commerce platforms to local expectations. This market diversity allows for analyzing how variables such as card decline, cart abandonment, or use of alternative methods behave in different regulatory, cultural, and technological contexts.

Obstacles in the purchase journey

The payment stage has ceased to be merely an operational issue and has become a major competitive differentiator and a driver of revenue generation in the travel sector. In practice, small obstacles in the purchase journey lead travelers to abandon the purchase or switch to competitors.

In this context, Brazil is the most promising market among the sample countries, but also emerges as one of the most challenging. 20% of Brazilians face card declines, while in the UK, the decline rate is 13%. Globally, on average, 17% of travelers have had their card declined when purchasing tickets – representing up to US$ 117 billion in transactions at risk.

Among the five markets surveyed, Brazilians are the most likely to abandon their cart when facing a payment decline: 19% do not purchase and 2% turn to the competition. This behavior, the study assesses, is largely influenced by the widespread adoption of Pix, as the system raised consumer expectations by offering a frictionless experience, without authentication steps, and with instant confirmation. “As a result, Brazilian consumers have little tolerance for delays or complex checkout processes. In Brazil, where the consumer is increasingly demanding and digitalized, companies” ability to offer fast, flexible, and locally adapted payments can determine who leads and who falls behind in the online travel sector.".

Preferred method

In case of having their card declined during an online travel booking, the majority of Brazilians (79%) try to continue the transaction with the same payment method at a different time, 14% would buy from another website and 2% would not buy. On average across the countries participating in the Nuvei survey, 82% of travelers would try again with another payment option, while 13% would buy on another site and 5% would not complete the purchase. Every decline, missing method, or unnecessary friction point is an open invitation for a competitor to win that booking. In the US and the UK, customers are more tolerant: only 23% and 24%, respectively, said it was very likely or likely they would decide to abandon the purchase in the absence of their favorite payment method.

“A poor payment experience doesn't just mean lost revenue; it can also directly fuel competitor growth. When 13% of customers switch to the competition, this represents a significant redistribution of market share.”, says Peny Rizou, Fintech Director of the Etraveli Group.

Installments, a national passion

“Do you prefer to pay part of the total amount with your credit card and the remainder with frequent flyer miles or other payment methods?”. A full 93% of Brazilians answered “yes” to this question, demonstrating how installment plans are essential in the travel sector for the national culture. The percentage is significantly higher compared to the average of the surveyed countries, where 75% of respondents also said they prefer installments. In Hong Kong, for example, 55% of travelers prefer to split the payment, part by card and part by miles or another method. Despite these indicators, only 22% of platforms offer the possibility of installments to the customer.

Also according to the survey, the top preferred method for travel payment is the credit card, ranging from 72% (UK and Hong Kong) to 77% (Brazil and Spain) and 79% in the US. Brazil is the only market among the five surveyed where a local instant system (Pix) appears as the second most popular payment method, indicated by 71% of consumers. In Spain, for example, the local instant payment system (Bizum) is the second preferred method, with only 23%. Travel is global, emotional, and often purchased only once or twice a year. Unlike retail, where a payment failure might lead the customer to try again the next day, in the travel sector an unsuccessful transaction often ends the relationship completely.

Faced with all the numbers, the executive states that payments are among the main competitive frontiers in the travel sector. Thus, he says, reducing obstacles in the purchase journey during the payment process, with an integrated, flexible, and localized experience, can increase the conversion rate and ensure that companies win more customers. “To meet customer expectations, airlines must offer a fast, simple, and intuitive payment experience.”.

Although travel brands often compete on price or loyalty benefits, the research demonstrates that the biggest battlefield is now in payments. Friction at the point of purchase not only frustrates consumers but also directly fuels the competition. “Every declined payment, every missing method, or every unnecessary friction point is an open invitation for a competitor to win that booking. Airlines and OTAs that treat payments as a business strategy, not just a technical function, are the ones that maintain the loyalty of high-intent travelers.” Damien Cramer, SVP Global Travel at Nuvei