Nuvei’s complete editorial companion to the Spain Market Expansion Guide. This version brings the six research chapters and data behind the charts together in readable HTML, while the interactive experience remains available.
Full research and findings
Why Spain
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Spain has been powered by a strong recovery in tourism and services, sustained immigration, the efficient deployment of large-scale EU funds and relatively favorable energy costs. That macroeconomic strength is a significant tailwind for e-commerce, alongside better logistics, rising mobile adoption and a steadily improving online shopping experience.
Highly connected, still room to grow.
E-commerce penetration trails several Latin American markets, including Brazil (90%), Chile (88%) and Colombia (86%). For merchants, that gap signals meaningful headroom for adoption.
Digital growth at twice the pace.
Spain’s digital economy is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.9%, more than twice the growth rate projected for Germany or Japan. This reflects the structural acceleration of digital consumption and Spain’s deepening integration into European and global e-commerce.
One base. Three continents.
A “golden triangle” linking Europe, Africa and Latin America.
Beyond domestic demand, Spain increasingly serves as a launchpad for international expansion, not only into Southern Europe, but also into Latin America. Global platforms have long used it as a key market and testing ground.
“ For German or other European merchants targeting Spanish-speaking markets, it’s easier to start in Spain before going to Latin America. ”
Outpacing the EU, year after year.
The report cites average GDP growth of 3.8% since 2022, compared with 1.7% across the EU. It reports 2.8% Spanish GDP growth for 2025 against a 1.4% EU average, with growth forecast at 2.0% in 2026, 1.7% in 2027 and 1.6% in 2028. Source: International Monetary Fund, as presented in the report.
Merchant takeaways
- Scale and momentum together: the EU's fourth-largest economy, growing faster than its peers.
- Consumers are highly connected, yet e-commerce penetration still has room to rise.
- Spain doubles as a proving ground for Southern Europe and a bridge into Latin America.
Market growth and sectors
Spain's total e-commerce market reached USD 76.7bn in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 115.9bn by 2028. Cross-border commerce plays a structurally central role, reflecting Spain's integration into the EU single market and its openness to international merchants.
E-commerce is growing far faster than GDP.
GDP growth is forecast to ease to 1.6% by 2028 while staying above the EU average. Digital commerce is expanding far faster, at more than twice the pace projected for Germany or Japan.
Six in ten euros spent in Spain is already cross-border.
Around 60% of Spain’s e-commerce is cross-border, the highest share across the “Four Markets”. It is structural, not cyclical: consumers seek better prices, more variety and foreign brands, and platforms such as Amazon, Decathlon, Temu and Shein are strong.
Retail leads. Travel follows.
Retail accounts for 39% of Spanish ecommerce value and travel for 19% in the 2024 vertical mix. The report forecasts retail holding 39% in 2028 while travel shifts to 18%; ride-hailing and delivery rises from 7% to 8%.
Global marketplaces meet strong local champions.
Spain’s platform landscape includes Amazon, AliExpress, El Corte Inglés, Zara, Mango, MediaMarkt, Carrefour, Mercadona, Zalando, Temu and Shein, with Booking.com, Airbnb, Glovo and Cabify active in travel and delivery. Local merchants compete alongside large international marketplaces on range, price, delivery and service.
Merchant takeaways
- Cross-border already accounts for ~60% of e-commerce and is growing faster than domestic.
- Retail and travel make up nearly 60% of the market; delivery, SaaS and gaming grow fastest.
- Competition from global and low-cost platforms is intense, so differentiation matters.
Consumer expectations
Spanish consumers are strongly focused on value for money. Years of shopping in secure, trusted online environments have made them more confident and more demanding, with a clear preference for personalized and engaging experiences.
Mobile is now the main channel for e-commerce.
With smartphone penetration at 92%, mobile devices have consolidated as Spain’s primary way to shop online. Merchants should adopt a mobile-first approach: fast load times, intuitive navigation and frictionless checkout.
“ Spanish consumers are experiencing a digital boom. Highly mobile-oriented, they have made mobile e-commerce a strong channel. ”
Convenience, variety and the right price.
Spanish online shoppers prioritize convenience, product variety and value for money. Merchants should combine clear pricing with reliable fulfilment, mobile usability, responsive service and accessible returns to compete in mature ecommerce categories.
Pricing opens the door. Customer service keeps it open.
Spain is a mature market across many verticals, with delivery speeds and customer expectations comparable to Germany, France and Italy. Newcomers must match established players such as Amazon and El Corte Inglés, which can make entry capital-intensive in some sectors.
Two in three shoppers research before buying.
According to the report’s consumer research, 65.7% look online for product information and recommendations before buying. Among those researching, 73.8% prioritize price, and 18% use AI platforms to search for information.
The world’s most social online population.
Spain has the highest share of internet users on social media globally, ahead of Canada (93.1%), the US (92.9%) and the UK (90.4%).
TikTok and Instagram are the top platforms for social commerce, where brands and influencers increasingly sell through live-streamed video.
Merchant takeaways
- Design mobile-first: 83.6% of online shoppers buy on a smartphone.
- Compete on transparent value: best price, no surprise shipping costs, easy free returns.
- Invest in discovery across search, marketplaces and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Payments and Bizum
Spain's e-commerce payment landscape is clearly card-led, reflecting high card penetration and strong consumer trust. Cards represent more than 60% of online value, well above markets such as Germany, while Bizum is driving the rise of instant bank transfers.
Cards hold steady. Bank transfers climb.
Cards remain dominant, while bank transfers are set to overtake wallets and become the third most used method by 2028. Cash falls from 2% to around 1%.
From local instant pay to a European network.
Bizum lets consumers pay directly from their bank accounts using a mobile number and mobile authentication. By 2025 it had over 30 million users in Spain and Andorra, reaching around 60% of the population and over 95% of 18–35 year-olds. Through EuroPA, it recorded 30,000+ cross-border transactions worth over €2.2m in its first six months, and the Wero MoU could connect 130 million Europeans.
4% of total volume today, but growing fastest of all.
BNPL’s expected CAGR to 2028, the fastest of any method. It accounted for 4% of online value in 2024 (USD 3.2bn), rising to 5% (USD 5.3bn) by 2028.
According to IAB Spain, 53% of online shoppers in Spain have never heard of BNPL. Unlike Germany, where invoice-based methods are deeply embedded, BNPL is still unfamiliar to Spanish consumers, leaving significant room for growth.
Let customers choose how they pay.
“In payments, one of the core principles is customer choice: consumers should be free to decide how they pay, and merchants must provide a checkout that supports those preferences.” — Mentxu Triviño, Nuvei VP for Payments Partnerships in Spain
Merchants that limit checkout choice risk introducing unnecessary friction at exactly the moment intent is highest.
Cards first, with instant rails rising.
Spain’s ecommerce payment mix is led by debit cards (37%) and credit cards (25%). Digital wallets represent 16% and bank transfers, including Bizum, 15% in the 2024 data. The report forecasts the bank-transfer share reaching 17% in 2028, ahead of digital wallets at 16%.
Merchant takeaways
- Lead with cards, and make sure debit works flawlessly: it is 37% of online value.
- Add Bizum: bank transfers are set to overtake wallets by 2028.
- Offer PayPal and BNPL to capture younger shoppers and the fastest-growing segment.
Go-to-market and regulation
Spain offers a stable, rules-based business environment that combines EU-level regulation with national implementation. For merchants, that means familiar frameworks, harmonized VAT reporting and a market that both international entrants and Spanish companies expanding abroad can trust.
First in the world for trading across borders.
The World Bank’s Doing Business report was last published in 2020 but is still widely referenced. Spain performs strongly overall, with significant variation across categories.
EU rules, applied with local nuances.
E-commerce is primarily regulated by Law 34/2002 on Information Society Services and Electronic Commerce (LSSICE), amended over time, including 2024 updates reflecting EU regulations adopted in 2022.
The DSA sets obligations for online services; the DMA sets competition rules for “gatekeeper” platforms.
Exceptions to the withdrawal right include custom-made or personalized goods and certain leisure or travel services. Merchants must clearly inform consumers of this right.
One return for EU sales, Spanish VAT at checkout.
Depending on business model and location, merchants may use one of the OSS schemes or fall outside them altogether, which can require local VAT registration.
Free movement inside, new costs at the border.
Within the EU single market, cross-border e-commerce benefits from the free movement of goods. Imports from outside the EU are subject to duties based on product classification, origin and value.
Open market, high standards.
This section is a brief overview based on desk research and interviews with Nuvei executives. It is for general information only and does not constitute legal, regulatory or commercial advice.
Merchant takeaways
- Use the OSS schemes to simplify VAT, and check early whether local registration is needed.
- Build EU consumer-rights requirements into checkout and returns from day one.
- Factor the planned €3 small-parcel duty into pricing for non-EU shipments.
Is Spain right for your business?
Spain rewards merchants who arrive with mobile-first experiences, broad payment coverage including Bizum, transparent pricing and easy returns. It is less forgiving of premium pricing without clear value. Use the score below to check your alignment.
Who tends to win here and who tends to struggle .
Strong fit: International retailers with competitive price-quality value; fashion, grocery and electronics merchants offering rapid delivery; digital services, gaming and SaaS; travel businesses; and companies using Spain as a base for Southern Europe and Latin America.
Weaker fit: Premium pricing without obvious added value, desktop-first checkout, card-only checkout without Bizum or PayPal, difficult returns, and low-value non-EU shipments exposed to the planned small-parcel duty.
Spain research data and chart tables
Market snapshot
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce market, 2024 | USD 76.7bn | Mature, diverse and growing |
| Forecast market, 2028 | USD 115.9bn | 10.9% CAGR |
| Of e-commerce is cross-border | 60% | USD 46.3bn in 2024 |
| E-commerce penetration | 68.9% | Headroom to grow |
| Smartphone penetration | 92% | Germany: 82% |
| Bank account penetration | 98.4% | Near-universal inclusion |
| GDP per capita (approx.) | USD 40.6k | GDP ~USD 1.9 trillion |
| Population | 49.7m | EU's fourth-largest economy |
Ecommerce market share by vertical
| Sector | 2024 share | 2028 forecast share |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | 39% | 39% |
| Travel | 19% | 18% |
| Ride-hailing & delivery | 7% | 8% |
| SaaS | 4% | 4% |
| Streaming | 3% | 2% |
| Gaming | 2% | 3% |
Spain ecommerce payment mix
| Payment method | 2024 share | 2028 forecast share |
|---|---|---|
| Debit cards | 37% | 37% |
| Credit cards | 25% | 25% |
| Digital wallets | 16% | 16% |
| Bank transfers (Bizum) | 15% | 17% |
| BNPL | 4% | 5% |
| Cash | 2% | 1% |
See the original interactive Spain guide for graphical comparisons and the market-readiness assessment.
