In Great Britain, nearly half of internet users thought mobile payments would be useful in at least some circumstances, according to a Harris Interactive poll fielded in June 2012.

The survey found that 49% of web users in the country were at least somewhat interested in using their phones as a payment mechanism for transportation. Nearly as many said the same about paying in bars and restaurants or for groceries. Even for major purchases, almost one-third of respondents were interested in mobile payments.

Internet users in Great Britain who are interested in mobile payments, by location, June 2012 (% of respondents):
- Transport: 49%
- Bars/restaurants: 45%
- Groceries: 44%
- Major purchases: 31%

Those figures were especially high considering they were among all internet users-not just those who have a smartphone or other advanced handset that would be necessary to carry out a mobile payment transaction using technologies like near-field communication (NFC). And with smartphone ownership highest among the young, and somewhat more likely among males in older age groups, early adoption of mobile payments seems even more likely.

Demographic profile of internet users in Great Britain who own a smartphone or tablet, June 2012 (% of respondents):
TOTAL
- 40% own a smartphone
- 11% own a tablet

MALE
- 16-34: 53% own a smartphone / 23% own a tablet
- 35-54: 42% / 12%
- 55+: 25% / 6%

FEMALE
- 16-34: 53% own a smartphone / 8% own a tablet
- 35-54: 34% / 6%
- 55+: 17% / 5%

eMarketer estimates that in the UK, which includes Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland, there will be 19.2 million smartphone owners by the end of 2012, representing 36.8% of the total mobile population in the country. By 2016, nearly 42 million people in the UK will own a smartphone.