Gaming is mobile, digital, and global
An often-overlooked aspect of gaming is payments. The rise of mobile gaming – estimated to top US$77 billion in Asia by 2027² – has already transformed the way players pay for their games. Beyond the explosion of games offered on digital “app stores”, mobile games have also inspired new monetisation models, such as free-to-play games with optional in-app purchases like character skins to enhance gameplay, and subscriptions or “Game Passes” where players can access regular rewards at a fee.
Similar trends are also seen in console and PC gaming. Firstly, more games are becoming cross-platform, meaning players can play a game and carry over their progress and profiles on their consoles, PCs, or mobile devices.
Secondly, console and PC based games are increasingly free-to-play, especially online multiplayer games where players compete against one another or collaborate to achieve game objectives. These “live service” games are often free to download and receive regular gameplay or content updates, while offering optional in-app purchases or add-ons that improve gaming experience.
Above all, gaming is global. A player in Asia may be buying a game created in Europe, sold on a digital storefront operating in the United States, and playing with teammates from multiple other continents and countries.
Payments can make or break your game
The evolution of video gaming has clear implications for payments. An obvious effect is the explosion in payment flows that span national and economic borders, which publishers and digital storefronts must navigate to deliver payment experiences that gamers expect.
Visa: An easy win for gaming
As the globally accepted and trusted network, Visa lets you deliver a complete payment experience for every player – no matter where they are, what they play, and how they play.
- Deliver fuss-free payments, every time: Help players get into the game faster with checkout solutions like Click-to-Pay, which can be integrated into your game top-up websites to reduce checkout from minutes to seconds.
- Give players peace of mind: Tap on Visa’s globally trusted security solutions, such as Visa Payment Passkeys and Visa Token Service, which have shown to reduce fraud rates by 58% and increase authorisation rates by 2.5%³.
- Build your loyal tribe: Grow your player base from good to great with our co-branded cards solutions, which can provide gamers new ways to interact with your IP outside of the game. With Visa, you can also design and implement new loyalty and reward solutions to further enhance your gamers’ experiences.
¹ Statista, Number of video gamers worldwide in 2025, by region, 2025
² Statista, Revenue of the mobile games market in Asia from 2018 to 2027
³ visa.com.sg/partner-with-us/payment-technology/visa-tokenisation/unpacking-payment-tokenisation.html