45% of Americans say they're willing to shop via mobile phone — and that number climbs to 59% among 18–34 year olds specifically. For a merchant whose audience skews younger, that's not a marginal feature request, it's close to a majority expectation.
Where this actually moves conversion
The conversion lift isn't uniform across mobile payment types. RFID/NFC tap-to-pay removes friction almost entirely for in-store purchases, while SMS-based payment — the oldest method — has declined specifically because of poor reliability and low payout rates, and offering it can actually hurt trust rather than help conversion.
What to weigh before adding one
Whether the specific mobile method your audience already recognizes and trusts is the one you're adding — an unfamiliar option adds choice friction without adding real conversion lift, echoing the same overload effect seen with too many payment options generally.