Published: 7:00pm, 3 Oct, 2017 Updated: 11:35pm, 3 Oct, 2017
Digital payments are set to overtake the use of credit and debit cards as people 's preferred method of making e - commerce transactions , according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ( UNCTAD ) . The body cited data from payment company data showing credit and debit cards falling in online use from 51 % of all transactions three years ago to 46 % by 2019 , with mobile , online and digital card payments becoming the majority for the first time . WHO 's figures back up other reports that have shown increasing numbers of people are using electronic payments for transactions .