Hampshire, UK – 3rd August 2026: A trio of new studies from global tech strategists Juniper Research has found that the value of global payments made via QR codes, digital ticketing, and near-field communication (NFC) will reach $32.2 trillion by 2031.
Rising from $17.3 trillion in 2026, the overall market will grow by an impressive 86%; split by:
- Digital ticketing – 126.7%
- Contactless payments – 90.2%
- QR code payments – 66.7%.
Ticketing is seeing the fastest growth, as digital methods are increasingly the default for new and existing ticketing systems, particularly across different segments such as air travel, events, and bus/metro.
Digital ticketing is a vital precursor to other innovations, particularly agentic commerce. Juniper Research predicts that ticketing will be one of the first consumer journeys to be majorly impacted by AI agents; making the updating of payment infrastructure an essential task.
Contact us to download a sample of the 2026-2031 Market Data reports for Contactless Payments, Digital Ticketing, and QR Code Payments.
SoftPOS Catalysing Contactless Payments Growth
The reports highlight the role of Software Point of Sale (SoftPOS) in accelerating contactless payments growth. SoftPOS, where smartphones can become a payment terminal, removes the traditional requirement for expensive physical hardware for card payments. As such, contactless payments become more competitive versus QR codes for micro and small businesses; reshaping how cash will be replaced for smaller transactions.
VP of Research, Nick Maynard, commented: “SoftPOS is changing the scenario for how small businesses and sole traders accept payments; accelerating the displacement of cash. Contactless payments will not replace QR codes – both solutions will succeed in different countries and verticals. As ever, getting payment methods right will be a highly contextual decision.”
About the Research Suite
The new market data & forecasting suite offers the most comprehensive resource for the Contactless Payments, Digital Ticketing, and QR Code Payments markets to date. Combined, the reports provide 155,000 datapoints of forecasts across 61 countries over five years.
About Juniper Research
Juniper Research is a global tech strategist firm providing research, data, and forecasting across the fintech, telecoms, and IoT sectors. For over 20 years, Juniper Research has delivered actionable insights that help industry leaders navigate disruption, seize opportunities, and make confident strategic decisions. www.juniperresearch.com
Press Contact:
Sam Smith, Press Relations
sam.smith@juniperresearch.com
Related Research
For related research, please browse our Fintech & Payments section and associated topics:
