Nearly 40% of U.S. Merchants Accept Crypto as PayPal Survey Signals Payment Shift

Key Takeaways:

• 39% of U.S. merchants already accept cryptocurrency at checkout, according to PayPal and NCA data.
• Customer demand is the main driver, with 88% of merchants receiving crypto payment inquiries.
• Large enterprises lead adoption, but small businesses are seeing strong Gen Z interest.

Cryptocurrency payments are moving from niche use cases into everyday U.S. commerce. A new survey released by PayPal and the National Cryptocurrency Association (NCA) shows merchant adoption accelerating as customer demand reshapes payment expectations.

The survey showed that nearly 4 out of 10 U.S. enterprises currently accept payment with crypto, marking a clear shift in the digital asset usage ways, beyond  the purposes of investment or transaction. Crypto adoption is not only limited in early adopters or technology brands. Merchants across retail, hospitality, and digital services are increasingly integrating crypto into standard payment flows.

This interest is practical. About 98% of companies say customers have asked about payment with cypto and 69% report customers want to use crypto at least once a month. For businesses already adopting, crypto plays a significant role, occupying the average of 26% of total sales.

PayPal executives say the data confirms what they see on their platform: once crypto payments are offered in a familiar checkout experience, usage follows quickly. The merchants see crypto as a trial, but more of a functional utility, to accommodate shifting customer demands.

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Large enterprises, i.e. those generating over half a billion dollars of annual revenue, share the same sentiment with adoption levels at 50% already having, and willing to accept crypto. Small business comes second with 34% the midsize firms with 32%. Even though there is the gap, young customers are giving some of the best signals to smaller merchants.

The usage is being driven by Gen Z and Millennials. The interest by Millennials is the highest among merchants (77%) and then Gen Z and younger consumers are closely behind them (73%). Gen Z inquiries are highest among small businesses at 82% compared with the midsize and large companies.

The trends in the industries are also conspicuous. Hospitality and travel lead crypto acceptance at 81%, followed by digital goods, gaming, luxury, and specialty retail at 76%. Retail and e-commerce have a penetration of 69%, which speaks of the attraction of expedited settlement and global inclination of online-first companies.

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Speed, customer acquisition and security are the key advantages quoted by merchants. Approximately 45% mention quicker transactions and engaging new customers whereas more than 40% mention increased security and privacy. Such benefits make crypto a complementary payment system and not a substitute of cards.

Although it is increasingly being adopted, ease of use is the biggest challenge. Nine out of ten merchants say they would be likely to accept crypto if setup and checkout were as simple as credit card payments. The same share say they would try crypto immediately if integration matched existing payment tools.

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