Bank Cards Still Dominate Crypto Purchases in 2025 Despite Mobile Wallet Hype

Despite constant talk about seamless payments and mobile wallets, most people buying cryptocurrency in 2025 are still doing it the old-fashioned way — with bank cards. New data from Paybis, based on a survey of more than 900 users across the US, Canada, and Europe, reveals a pattern that seems counterintuitive at first glance.

Mobile Wallets Thrive in Daily Life but Not in Crypto

Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely used for everyday payments like coffee, taxis, and subscriptions. However, when it comes to purchasing crypto, they remain a minority choice. According to the data, 47.61% of users buy cryptocurrency using bank cards, giving them a clear and dominant lead over all other methods.

Other Payment Options Lag Far Behind

Bank transfers account for just 13.93% of crypto purchases, followed by PayPal at 9.15% and Revolut at 8.94%. Apple Pay stands at 6.44%, while Google Pay trails at 4.57%. Combined, the two mobile wallets represent only 11.01% of crypto purchases, highlighting how strongly users continue to favor cards.

Crypto Is Still Viewed as an Investment, Not a Purchase

One key reason behind this behavior is perception. Even in 2025, many users still see buying cryptocurrency as a financial investment rather than a routine transaction. This mindset changes how people behave. When entering a financial decision they may not fully understand, users slow down and look for processes they already trust.

Familiarity Makes Bank Cards Feel Safer

Bank cards align almost perfectly with this instinct. Most users understand how card payments work, including authorization, declines, refunds, and chargebacks. They have years of experience using cards and know where to turn if something goes wrong. That familiarity creates a sense of control that mobile wallets struggle to match.

Mobile Wallets Add an Unwanted Layer of Uncertainty

While mobile wallets are convenient, they introduce ambiguity during failed transactions. If a crypto purchase via Apple Pay fails, users may not know whether the issue lies with the wallet, the exchange, or the bank. That uncertainty alone is enough to push many users back to traditional card payments.

Convenience Alone Is Not Enough to Drive Adoption

On paper, Apple Pay should be an ideal solution — fast, secure, and frictionless. Yet Paybis data shows that convenience by itself is not sufficient to attract crypto buyers. What users appear to value more is procedural certainty and predictability throughout the transaction.

Bank Cards Offer Predictable Execution

Card payments deliver instant execution through a checkout flow that looks familiar everywhere. Even if the process takes a few seconds longer, those extra moments provide reassurance. This sense of reliability matters more than speed when the asset being purchased already carries perceived risk.

Uneven Support Weakens Trust in Mobile Wallets

Another practical issue is inconsistent support for mobile wallets across exchanges and regions. Limits may be lower, transactions can be blocked, and compliance checks are often opaque. None of this inspires confidence, especially when users are already cautious about crypto.

Crypto Cards Quietly Gain Momentum

While mobile wallets struggle to gain traction for buying crypto, another category is steadily growing: crypto-linked payment cards. According to the same Paybis research, 28% of users already use crypto cards regularly, revealing a different adoption pattern.

Spending Crypto Feels Easier Than Buying It

This trend suggests that while users prefer bank cards for entering the crypto market, they are more willing to experiment once they already hold digital assets. Crypto cards allow people to spend crypto through familiar card infrastructure, making transactions feel normal on the surface while handling crypto logic behind the scenes.

Hybrid Models Appear to Work Best

Crypto cards do not require users to learn new payment behaviors or commit to decentralized finance ideals. They simply allow crypto to behave like everyday money, which for many users is enough to encourage experimentation and usage.

Adoption Follows a Conservative Path

The Paybis data reveals two clear behavioral patterns. First, onboarding remains conservative, with users prioritizing reliability, speed, and familiarity when converting fiat into crypto. Second, usage becomes more experimental after purchase, as users explore hybrid tools that integrate easily with existing payment systems.

Caution Comes First, Experimentation Comes Later

This is not a contradiction but a sequence. People enter the market carefully and only experiment once they feel comfortable holding crypto. Trust is built through repetition, not novelty.

Exchanges May Be Misreading User Behavior

Many fintech companies assume new payment methods automatically replace old ones. The Paybis data challenges this belief, showing that in crypto, trust is earned through consistency rather than innovation alone.

Paybis Highlights the Importance of Familiar Processes

According to Paul Afshar, Chief Marketing Officer at Paybis, crypto buyers are not financial experts but everyday people looking for safe investments and transactions. The findings reflect a strong preference for simplicity and familiarity when using traditional payment methods.

Infrastructure Matters More Than Features

Afshar suggests that improving adoption is less about adding new payment logos and more about ensuring predictable, transparent, and compliant execution of existing methods. He also notes that the next step for the industry is improving reliability, transparency, and regulatory clarity so crypto cards can reach their full potential.

Crypto Adoption Advances on User Terms

The key takeaway is not that crypto is failing to modernize, but that users are evolving at their own pace. Bank cards remain dominant because they are familiar and reliable. Mobile wallets lag because they introduce uncertainty at the wrong moment. Crypto cards grow because they blend innovation with habits people already trust.

Familiarity Remains the Fastest Path to Growth

For exchanges, payment providers, and policymakers, the message is clear. If wider adoption is the goal, fighting familiarity is a mistake. The real opportunity lies in building on it.