User engagement
In-game purchases
Alternative payment methods
Streamline your payments and boost in-game sales
November 26, 2024•5 min
As the video game industry becomes more concentrated, studios find themselves in a predicament: how to continue generating revenue. While many avenues exist to create a sustainable business, streamlining your game's payments system is straightforward. By simplifying and optimizing payment processes within games, companies can significantly increase conversion rates by reducing friction from their checkout experiences and boosting game sales.
Reduce friction during checkout
The checkout experience is the first barrier to converting players into payers. A positive checkout experience will reduce cart abandonment rates, boost your in-game sales, and improve long-term player retention. To reduce friction, your checkout experience should be simple and make it easy for players to return in the future and quickly make a purchase. Studies show that even the smallest inconvenience will turn a player away from your checkout, with 17% of players abandoning their carts when checkout flows were too lengthy and 14% dropping off if the process wasn't transparent, with checkouts purposely hiding the total order costs upfront. To combat this, offer players one-click purchasing options and saved payment options to make the purchasing journey fast and convenient. Allowing players to save payment information makes future purchases quicker. It eliminates the need for re-entering payment details, creating a smoother buying experience and significantly reducing user drop-off, leading to higher conversion rates.
Offer localized payment options
In a global economy, players expect convenience when making digital purchases. Studies back this statement up, with a 71% sales increase when consumers were provided with more payment methods, specifically the top 3 most used options in their regions. By catering to an audience's regional payment preferences, you provide your players with accessibility to conduct transactions in the most familiar and easiest way for them. To do this, you must be equipped to offer and populate local payment methods to your players based on their location. Xsolla Payments automatically does this for all our partner companies, making it easy for game developers and publishers to accept payments in over 200+ geographies with over 700+ payment methods available. This ensures your game can conduct transactions from diverse players worldwide, maximizing your reach and revenue potential.
Design UX-friendly payment flows
As previously stated, it doesn't take much for a player to abandon their cart at the first sign of an inconvenience. Thinking beyond the checkout experience, if the user flow to your checkout is also complicated and poorly designed, you risk losing potential paying players. Your checkout should be well integrated into your game, from the world you have created to the design. As you take a player through the payment flow, be mindful of disruptions to their immersion into your game. Your payment journey should keep your player engaged as well as amplify your brand, making it feel like a fluid aspect of your game that can be trusted. Incorporate simplicity in your layout and navigation, with clear instructions and minimal steps required to complete the transaction. By prioritizing a smooth and user-friendly payment flow, you'll build trust and encourage players to make in-app purchases confidently.
Increase impulse purchases
Impulse purchases can be a significant driver of in-game revenue. By incorporating payment options directly into your game, you can eliminate the need for players to navigate back and forth between gameplay, reducing hesitation and encouraging immediate purchases. Studies have shown that the easier it is for a consumer to make a purchase, the higher the likelihood that money will be spent. Xsolla's PayRank technology further enhances this experience. Our innovative algorithm analyzes player preferences and regional trends to surface the most relevant payment options. By considering factors like user location, payment history, and local preferences, PayRank tailors the payment experience to each player, maximizing conversion rates and simplifying the checkout process.
Build trust and reduce player hesitancy
Fostering a secure and trustworthy payment environment boosts player confidence, increasing the likelihood of players making first-time and repeat purchases in your game. Making sure your payment system has robust anti-fraud measures in place can go a long way in securing nearly 25% of abandoned carts due to security concerns. Xsolla's Anti-Fraud System is designed to protect your game's revenue and player information as part of our overall Payment solution. Using machine learning, our anti-fraud technology effectively identifies and blocks fraudulent transactions and prioritizes transparency and clarity in payment details. You can build trust with your players and reduce hesitancy by providing clear information about fees, taxes, and total costs, creating an environment where players feel confident and empowered to make in-game purchases.
High cart abandonment = low conversion rates in mobile gaming
In the 2024 Mobile Growth and Monetization Report conducted by Unity, findings revealed a staggering reality - only 1.83% of mobile gamers make in-app purchases. Barriers like complex checkouts and a lack of available payment methods are leading more players to abandon their carts at a rate of 64.2% within the gaming industry and 69.57% across ecommerce as a whole, according to research conducted by the Baymard Institute. When looking at cart abandonment rates by device, mobile devices are the highest, at 85.65%, followed by tablets and desktops. Game developers can turn the tide by addressing these friction points and focusing on localization, UX, impulse purchases, and trust, maximizing revenue potential and boosting in-game sales.
Reduce friction during checkout
The checkout experience is the first barrier to converting players into payers. A positive checkout experience will reduce cart abandonment rates, boost your in-game sales, and improve long-term player retention. To reduce friction, your checkout experience should be simple and make it easy for players to return in the future and quickly make a purchase. Studies show that even the smallest inconvenience will turn a player away from your checkout, with 17% of players abandoning their carts when checkout flows were too lengthy and 14% dropping off if the process wasn't transparent, with checkouts purposely hiding the total order costs upfront. To combat this, offer players one-click purchasing options and saved payment options to make the purchasing journey fast and convenient. Allowing players to save payment information makes future purchases quicker. It eliminates the need for re-entering payment details, creating a smoother buying experience and significantly reducing user drop-off, leading to higher conversion rates.
Offer localized payment options
In a global economy, players expect convenience when making digital purchases. Studies back this statement up, with a 71% sales increase when consumers were provided with more payment methods, specifically the top 3 most used options in their regions. By catering to an audience's regional payment preferences, you provide your players with accessibility to conduct transactions in the most familiar and easiest way for them. To do this, you must be equipped to offer and populate local payment methods to your players based on their location. Xsolla Payments automatically does this for all our partner companies, making it easy for game developers and publishers to accept payments in over 200+ geographies with over 700+ payment methods available. This ensures your game can conduct transactions from diverse players worldwide, maximizing your reach and revenue potential.
Design UX-friendly payment flows
As previously stated, it doesn't take much for a player to abandon their cart at the first sign of an inconvenience. Thinking beyond the checkout experience, if the user flow to your checkout is also complicated and poorly designed, you risk losing potential paying players. Your checkout should be well integrated into your game, from the world you have created to the design. As you take a player through the payment flow, be mindful of disruptions to their immersion into your game. Your payment journey should keep your player engaged as well as amplify your brand, making it feel like a fluid aspect of your game that can be trusted. Incorporate simplicity in your layout and navigation, with clear instructions and minimal steps required to complete the transaction. By prioritizing a smooth and user-friendly payment flow, you'll build trust and encourage players to make in-app purchases confidently.
Increase impulse purchases
Impulse purchases can be a significant driver of in-game revenue. By incorporating payment options directly into your game, you can eliminate the need for players to navigate back and forth between gameplay, reducing hesitation and encouraging immediate purchases. Studies have shown that the easier it is for a consumer to make a purchase, the higher the likelihood that money will be spent. Xsolla's PayRank technology further enhances this experience. Our innovative algorithm analyzes player preferences and regional trends to surface the most relevant payment options. By considering factors like user location, payment history, and local preferences, PayRank tailors the payment experience to each player, maximizing conversion rates and simplifying the checkout process.
Build trust and reduce player hesitancy
Fostering a secure and trustworthy payment environment boosts player confidence, increasing the likelihood of players making first-time and repeat purchases in your game. Making sure your payment system has robust anti-fraud measures in place can go a long way in securing nearly 25% of abandoned carts due to security concerns. Xsolla's Anti-Fraud System is designed to protect your game's revenue and player information as part of our overall Payment solution. Using machine learning, our anti-fraud technology effectively identifies and blocks fraudulent transactions and prioritizes transparency and clarity in payment details. You can build trust with your players and reduce hesitancy by providing clear information about fees, taxes, and total costs, creating an environment where players feel confident and empowered to make in-game purchases.
Streamline your payments with Xsolla
Xsolla Payments offers a comprehensive solution to streamline and optimize your in-game payment processes and boost your overall sales. As a Merchant of Record, we understand the importance of providing your players with a well-rounded checkout experience that will tackle cart abandonment and reduce friction throughout the purchasing journey. Xsolla Payments provides developers with saved payment methods, focusing on localization and user experience. Our robust fraud protection system safeguards against fraudulent activity, ensuring a secure and trustworthy environment for players every time. By addressing critical aspects of the payment process, we help developers maximize their revenue potential and enhance player satisfaction. For more tips on boosting revenue and improving your checkout, learn more about our eight tips for optimizing conversion rates. Ready to learn more? Check out our Xsolla Payment demos or schedule a meeting with an Xsolla expert to see how we can help elevate your checkout today. For those ready to dive right in, create a Publisher Account to get started.Featured articles
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