Visa Stay Secure Study 2025: 80% of Ukrainians mostly or completely trust digital payments

97% of surveyed consumers in Ukraine have taken precautions to secure payments, indicating an increase in online savviness as digital payments gain momentum.
39% of Ukrainians expect to use digital payments more in the next 12 months.
98% worry their family or friends might fall for a scam.

KYIV, May 14, 2025: A new study commissioned by Visa reveals a rise in consumer awareness and proactive security measures for digital payments across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA). The ninth annual Stay Secure study, which surveyed 5,800 adults across 17 diverse CEMEA markets, including Ukraine, found that 97% of consumers now actively take precautions to secure their online transactions, showcasing increased savviness as digital payments gain momentum.

While 65% of respondents in Ukraine acknowledge their vulnerability to types of communications commonly used by scammers, the increased adoption of security measures and preference for stronger authentication indicate a positive shift in consumer behavior since the last edition of the Stay Secure study in 2023. Consumers are now actively spotting red flags and verifying the legitimacy of online interactions, showing a marked increase in awareness.

Other key insights emerging from the research bode well for the continued acceleration of digital payments across the region, with three-quarters of all respondents and 80% of Ukrainians stating that they mostly or completely trust digital payments. 39% of consumers across Ukraine say that they will increase their use of digital payments over the next year.

“The digital payments landscape is evolving rapidly, and consumers across Ukraine are embracing its convenience while becoming more vigilant about security,” said Larysa Makarova, Visa Senior Director, Head of Risk for Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. “Consumer education is our first line of defense against fraud, and industry collaboration makes this possible. As scams grow more sophisticated, the battle for security never stops. Consumers increasingly trust payment providers who take tangible steps to protect them. The Stay Secure study can offer actionable intelligence for trust-building strategies and inform the creation of educational materials to empower consumers against fraud.”

Key Findings of the Visa Stay Secure Study in Ukraine

Electronic payments are now the norm for Ukrainian consumers. 95% of Ukrainian consumers use digital payment methods, with money transfers through mobile banking apps (76%), online card payments (67%), and mobile payments through digital wallets or QR codes (63%) leading the way. As 84% of consumers appreciate the ability to pay anywhere, anytime and 81% report that digital payments are faster and easier, the role of cash continues to diminish—68% of respondents no longer carry cash or visit ATMs.
Trust in digital payments is strong. Despite the rise of cybercrime in today’s digital world, trust in electronic transactions remains robust. More than half (55%) of Ukrainians report that news of cyber fraud does not affect their usage of digital payment. Furthermore, 67% feel more secure when additional verification measures, such as one-time passcodes, are required during transactions.

Concerns about susceptibility to scams remain high. The study reveals a deep concern among Ukrainians for the digital safety of friends and family. Nearly all respondents (98%) worry that someone close to them might fall for a scam, especially text messages or emails asking to verify account information or calls about fraudulent orders. Seniors are perceived as particularly vulnerable, with 75% identifying Boomers as the most at-risk generation. Additionally, only 24% feel very or extremely knowledgeable about digital scams.
Scammers exploit emotions to trigger action. 65% of Ukrainians admit they could be influenced by potentially fraudulent messages. The most effective to spur action are messages that promise financial gain, imply a security risk, or appear to come from authorities. Messages requesting password resets or account verification due to a “data breach” are the most likely to raise red flags—53% of Ukrainians consider these highly suspicious.
Consumers are playing defense. To counter potential threats, Ukrainians are actively adopting security behaviors. 70% say they avoid engaging with emails or calls that request money transfers on someone else’s behalf, and 69% refuse to share card or account credentials. Half of respondents also regularly monitor their bank statements for suspicious activity.

Visa’s Commitment to a Secure Digital Future

Visa has been at the center of AI in payments, investing $3.3 billion in our AI and data infrastructure over the last decade. In 2024, it introduced several new AI-powered risk and fraud prevention solutions, that are designed to improve security across card-not-present (CNP) payments on and off Visa’s network.

As the world's largest SaaS platform, Visa combats cybercrime by deploying cutting-edge tools, expertise, and processes to help identify and mitigate fraud. The impact is undeniable: In the past year, Visa blocked $40 billion in fraudulent payment value, prevented 80 million fraudulent transactions, and averted over $122 million in estimated e-commerce fraud through malware detection.

About the Visa Stay Secure Study

The Visa Stay Secure study was conducted by Wakefield Research in December 2024. It involved a survey of 5,800 adults aged 18 years and over across 17 CEMEA markets, including Bahrain, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (KSA), Serbia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ua.