UK retailers have ranked cryptocurrency funds amongst rising buyer calls for, at the same time as safety and fee simplicity stay their prime priorities, based on a brand new whitepaper launched by fee expertise supplier DECTA.
A brand new DECTA whitepaper shared with crypto.information, based mostly on a survey of 500 UK SME decision-makers carried out by analysis agency Censuswide between March 13 and March 20, 2026, discovered that 11.8% of retailers imagine their clients need the choice to pay with cryptocurrency, whereas the determine rises to twenty.7% amongst companies with annual turnover between £50 million and £99.99 million.
The report positioned crypto behind fee safety, simplicity, pace, a number of fee choices, refunds, visitor checkout, Purchase Now Pay Later, and open banking when retailers had been requested about buyer fee priorities. Fee safety topped the record at 48.6%, adopted by simplicity at 42.2% and pace at 37.2%. Cryptocurrency ranked eighth at 11.8%.
Scott Dawson, chief govt officer of DECTA and chairman of the Funds Innovation Discussion board, mentioned different fee strategies proceed to realize traction amongst retailers. DECTA mentioned BNPL emerged as a prime buyer precedence for practically 20% of respondents, whereas open banking and cryptocurrency attracted higher curiosity amongst bigger companies.
Crypto curiosity grows amongst bigger companies
In line with the report, cryptocurrency stays a minority fee desire general however carries higher weight amongst high-turnover retailers. The corporate said that fee suppliers that ignore crypto threat being seen much less favorably by a few of their largest service provider clients.
The survey additionally discovered that 53.8% of UK SMEs already promote services worldwide. On the identical time, 20.2% of retailers concerned in international commerce mentioned their worldwide funds expertise has deteriorated. DECTA mentioned cross-border fee capabilities have turn out to be more and more essential as extra SMEs broaden past home markets.
Retailers recognized sluggish entry to funds as their most typical enterprise problem, with 19.4% citing it as an issue. One other 16% pointed to fraud and safety considerations, whereas 14.2% cited an absence of transparency round fee processing charges.
In the meantime, greater than half of surveyed retailers, 51.8%, mentioned they might prioritize safety over each decrease charges and entry to the newest fee expertise. Amongst micro-businesses with one to 9 workers, that determine climbed to 62.1%.
UK cracks down on crypto
The findings arrive as UK regulators proceed to scrutinize the crypto sector. Earlier this month, the Monetary Conduct Authority warned soccer golf equipment about sponsorship preparations involving unauthorised crypto companies, arguing that such partnerships may expose supporters to monetary dangers and merchandise that fall outdoors UK regulatory protections.
The FCA has additionally continued work on its broader crypto framework forward of the UK’s deliberate licensing regime. Underneath the regulator’s present timetable, crypto companies will have the ability to apply for authorization from September 30, 2026, whereas the total cryptoasset regime is scheduled to take impact on October 25, 2027.
Individually, UK authorities sanctioned Huobi International S.A., linked to $HTX, in Might as a part of a Russia-focused enforcement motion concentrating on entities allegedly related to the A7 community. The transfer adopted earlier FCA authorized proceedings in opposition to $HTX over alleged illegal crypto promotions geared toward UK customers.
Regardless of that regulatory exercise, DECTA’s survey suggests a phase of UK retailers continues to view cryptocurrency funds as a related buyer choice, significantly amongst bigger companies with worldwide operations.
