NMI, the embedded payments infrastructure provider, published survey research on 11 November 2026 showing that 34% of respondents say they are likely to pay with crypto at checkout if a retailer offers it during holiday shopping. Fintechbits checked the Federal Reserve’s Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 report, which shows that 2% of US adults used cryptocurrency to buy something or make a payment in 2025, against the 34% in NMI’s poll who say they are likely to use it at holiday checkout. The company’s own reading, that trust decides whether curiosity turns into spending, holds up, and the NMI release supplies the detail.

What the NMI crypto at checkout survey measured

NMI polled 3,001 US adults in October 2026 and calls the sample nationally representative. Of them, 602 (20%) said they own cryptocurrency. NMI counted Bitcoin, Ethereum and stablecoins as crypto. The release names no panel provider, weighting scheme, margin of error or exact question wording, and it gives only the month of fieldwork, so every percentage below carries that caveat.

Beyond the 34%, 33% expect to spend digital currency at a shop they already use within 12 months. Asked to pick between two shops selling the same item at the same price, 30% would favour the one accepting digital currency, 26% would be less likely to pick it and 35% say it makes no difference. A four-point net edge is thin, because nearly as many shoppers are put off as are drawn in.

The conditions shoppers attach to crypto payments

Respondents attach conditions. About 52% would be more willing to pay in digital currency if protections existed for when something goes wrong, and 62% want the exact dollar cost, fees included, shown before they pay. Another 51% want refunds as easy as card refunds, and 50% would feel better if a company they already trust handled the payment. Crypto owners ask for the same things at higher rates: 76% for the dollar cost, 72% for refunds and 74% for a trusted company.

The biggest stated worries are fraud and scams (34%), unfamiliarity with crypto payments (30%) and price volatility (27%). Tiffany Johnson, NMI’s Chief Product Officer, said: “Trust will be what turns interest into actual transactions.”

Fee clarity is where some stablecoin products fall short. Fintechbits reported that Samsung Wallet stablecoin payouts run through Coinflow and Bastion with no fees disclosed, the opposite of the up-front dollar cost that 62% of NMI’s respondents ask for.

Younger shoppers carry the headline numbers

The age split is steep. NMI reports that 48% of Gen Z and Millennials combined expect to spend crypto at a familiar shop within 12 months. Accepting digital currency would tip the choice of retailer for 49% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials, but only 25% of Gen X and 9% of Baby Boomers. The release gives no sample sizes for those age groups.

NMI also reports that 56% think businesses should offer more ways to pay even if few customers use each one, and 42% say newer methods such as crypto make a business look innovative. Those answers concern choice, not intent to spend, and they cost a respondent nothing to give.

Fintechbits analysis

Why the stated intent and the Fed figure differ

The Federal Reserve survey rests on 12,934 respondents polled online between 17 and 28 October 2025, and it asks about behaviour in the prior year. NMI asks about a conditional future: likely, if offered.

The groups also differ. NMI’s 20% crypto owners compare with the Fed’s finding that 10% of adults bought or held crypto, or used it for a transaction, though the two questions are not identical. A Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City briefing found payment use fell from nearly 3% in 2021 and 2022 to under 2% in 2023 and 2024. That trend runs against the poll’s enthusiasm.

NMI’s figures read better as a requirements list than as a demand forecast. For a processor such as NMI, which sells through software platforms and payments partners, they are a sales argument for dollar-denominated pricing, card-style refunds and a trusted name at the point of payment. Retailers should not budget on 34%.

Hiring points the same way. Fintechbits counted 41 stablecoin roles open at Stripe in its 10 November 2026 jobs analysis, which fits large processors building the rails that NMI’s respondents say they would need to trust.

Frequently asked questions

Will crypto at checkout be common in the 2026 holiday season?

NMI’s data show interest, not usage. Federal Reserve data put actual crypto payment use at 2% of adults in 2025, and NMI reports no merchant adoption figures.

How was the NMI crypto at checkout survey run?

NMI surveyed 3,001 US adults aged 18 and over in October 2026 and calls the sample nationally representative. The release does not disclose the panel provider, weighting or margin of error.

What do shoppers want before paying in crypto?

The leading asks are an exact dollar cost including fees (62%), protections when something goes wrong (52%), card-like refunds (51%) and a trusted company handling the payment (50%).

What to Watch Next

Three markers will show whether intent is turning into spending: whether NMI publishes a margin of error and panel details, whether retailers add crypto or stablecoin payment buttons with dollar pricing and refund terms stated, and whether the Federal Reserve’s household report covering 2026 shows payment use above 2%.