A recent survey conducted by Research Co. reveals that Canadians are becoming more open to utilizing biometrics for making purchases. The survey shows that 44 percent of Canadians now support the use of biometrics for purchases, which is a four percentage point increase compared to last year. On the other hand, the proportion of Canadians who are against using biometrics and body measurements for purchases has declined by four points, currently standing at 45 percent.
The survey also highlights the generational divide regarding the acceptance of biometrics. More than half of Canadians aged 18 to 34 (54 percent) welcome a world where payments can be made through biometrics. However, their counterparts aged 35 to 54 (44 percent) and aged 55 and over (31 percent) are less certain and hesitant about this technology.
When asked about their expectations for the future, 23 percent of the respondents expect to rely on biometrics for purchases within the next five years, while 33 percent foresee this option becoming available in the next 10 years.
Among the payment methods used by Canadians in the past month, cash was mentioned by only 18 percent of respondents. Credit cards were the most common method with 40 percent of Canadians utilizing them, followed by 28 percent who preferred debit cards. A smaller percentage of Canadians made payments using smartphones (7 percent), e-transfers (6 percent), or checks (2 percent).
Older Canadians, aged 55 and over, tend to prefer credit cards for their purchases (50 percent) compared to younger age groups, while Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more inclined to use their smartphones for purchases (10 percent).
Interestingly, 63 percent of Canadians reported that at least once in the past month they didn’t have any cash on hand and had to use their credit or debit card for a purchase of less than $10.
The survey was conducted online from August 17 to August 19, 2023, among 1,000 Canadian adults. The results were statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender, and region. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points. (Source: Research Co. survey)
