MERCHANT RESEARCH REPORT
Connected payments: One customer, every channel
Discover how connected data helps retailers know the same shopper in the app, at the register, and at the return counter, and what’s lost when it doesn’t.
- 102 retail payment leaders surveyed
- US & UK markets
- June 2026 fielded
Your customers shop across every channel. Can you recognize them everywhere?
New survey data from 102 payment operations leaders at US and UK retailers shows how they support blended commerce, where their data and systems fall short, and what they’re doing about it.
The research uncovers:
- How modern commerce is reshaping customer expectations
- Why payments modernization has become a customer experience imperative
- The hidden costs of disconnected payments, customer, and loyalty data
- How well retailers recognize the same customer across channels
- Why AI is raising the stakes, plus AI benefits and requirements for success
Based on a June 2026 survey of 102 payment operations leaders at retail organizations in the US and UK, with annual revenue from $250M to $5B+, conducted by Retail Dive’s Studio, and commissioned by ACI Worldwide.
Key findings
88%
of retailers report increased cross-channel shopping
34%
of retailers can consistently recognize the same customer across channels
73%
of retailers prioritize stored payment credentials that work across web, app, and store
Shoppers cross channels. Data doesn’t follow.
Retailers say shoppers cross channels more than ever, yet 98% still see at least one gap in supporting blended commerce. The most cited cause: 57% point to a lack of unified customer and payments data as a top gap.
Not a single respondent said their organization consistently meets customer expectations across channels, and only 28% can easily investigate and resolve a payment issue through a connected view.
The hardest place to recognize the customer is in the physical store.”
Dan Coates
Product Management Director, ACI Worldwide
Being able to accurately identify that customer within any channel to honor them, recognize their preferences, likes, dislikes, and preferred payment type—that drive toward customization and personalization is really critical.”
Dan Coates
Product Management Director, ACI Worldwide
Connected data turns recognition into revenue
More than 8 in 10 retailers can recognize customers across channels at least some of the time, but only 34% do it consistently. Recognition goes well beyond one customer ID: A phone number, email, tokenized card, or payment account reference (PAR) should all lead back to the same person.
Retailers are prioritizing the basics over the flashy: 73% put stored payment credentials first, and 56% name cross-channel refunds, exchanges, and appeasements. Scan-and-go (28%) and kiosks (19%) rank near the bottom.
Recognize every customer, in every channel
Find out where the customer journey breaks down, and how connected payments can bring it back together.