New JCB data on rapidly rising cross-border spending reveal the growing popularity of European locations among Asian tourists, while APAC consumers also increase their payment volumes at EU online stores.
European retailers are entering an era where their most valuable customers may increasingly come from outside Europe. New data from JCB’s Cross-Border Payments report highlights a surge in spending from Asia Pacific (APAC) travellers and online consumers — a trend that is reshaping how merchants should think about payment acceptance, checkout design, and revenue optimisation.
Cross-Border Demand Is Now Central to European Retail
Digital retail payments in the EU more than doubled between 2017 and 2023, surpassing €1 trillion annually. This growth isn’t solely domestic. Today, 32% of all European online sales come from cross-border customers, making international acceptance a core pillar of revenue, not a niche add-on. But the strongest acceleration is coming from the APAC region.
Apac Spending With European Merchants Is Exploding
JCB data shows extraordinary spikes in purchasing behaviour among tourists and e-commerce shoppers from Asian countries. For instance, online spending with European merchants by Indian cardmembers rose by 988%, one of the clearest indicators that APAC customers are rapidly shifting their online buying toward European goods and services.
At the same time, travel patterns are intensifying this trend offline: Chinese tourists were the world’s top international spenders in 2023, spending $196.5 billion abroad, far surpassing U.S. ($150 bn) and German ($112 bn) travellers. These high-spending segments are now returning to Europe in force.
Tourism Surge Brings More APAC Travellers With Higher Spending Per Visit
Europe remains one of the world’s most attractive long-haul destinations. In 2024, visitor arrivals to European destinations were 6% higher than in 2019, overtaking pre-pandemic levels sooner than expected. And importantly, spending is growing even faster. Therefore, tourists are projected to spend €800.5 billion in Europe in 2024, representing a 13.7% increase year-on-year.
A significant share of this recovery is driven by APAC markets, supported by two structural factors:
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Rebound in outbound travel from Asia, including the “revenge tourism” wave led by Chinese travellers.
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Strong APAC economic growth, with the region’s GDP forecast to expand about 4% between 2023 and 2028, fueling higher disposable income and premium shopping behaviour.
Apac Customers Overwhelmingly Prefer Digital And Cashless Payments
One of the most important insights for European retailers is that APAC travellers do not want to pay like Europeans.
Studies show that APAC travellers overwhelmingly prefer cashless payments not only for convenience but also for security, exchange-rate visibility, and spend tracking. This includes:
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Domestic and international card schemes (like JCB)
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Mobile wallets
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Contactless mobile and NFC payments
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QR-based payment flows are popular across East and Southeast Asia
These preferences carry over into e-commerce. If a European merchant’s online checkout does not support the payment types APAC customers use daily, cross-border abandonment rises sharply, even when demand is strong.
Why Acceptance Matters Now in Commerce
When APAC customers can pay the way they are used to, they spend more, convert more often, and abandon fewer checkouts. Given that:
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APAC travellers are among the highest global tourist spenders,
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APAC online demand for European brands is surging, and
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Cross-border transactions already make up one-third of EU online sales,
The revenue upside for merchants is substantial.
Even a small reduction in checkout friction, for example, enabling an APAC-issued card, adding a mobile wallet, or showing local currency pricing, can unlock meaningful incremental revenue from a segment with higher-than-average basket sizes.
What European Retailers Should Do Next?
To capture this growing APAC opportunity, retailers should:
1. Accept APAC-preferred payment methods
This includes enabling Asian card schemes like JCB and supporting mobile wallets widely used in China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Southeast Asia.
2. Optimise for fast, contactless in-store payments
APAC travellers expect tap-to-pay everywhere. Slow or unfamiliar in-store experiences can lead to lost sales.
3. Localise the online checkout
Language options, currency selection, and clearly displayed acceptance logos significantly reduce hesitation among foreign customers.
4. Strengthen fraud controls suited for cross-border traffic
APAC traffic behaves differently. AI-enhanced behavioural analytics and 3-D Secure authentication help ensure high approval rates while reducing liability.
The takeaway
APAC consumers, both travellers and online buyers, are becoming one of the most valuable customer groups for Europe. The latest JCB data makes it clear: demand is rising, spending power is high, and preferences are distinct. European retailers who expand their acceptance to APAC-preferred payment methods now will be positioned to capture a disproportionately large share of this fast-growing cross-border market.
