Financial Technology (FinTech) Market Research
Consumer Insights for Payments, Digital Banking & Financial Technology
FinTech market research is the study of how consumers adopt, use, and make decisions about financial technology products – from digital payments and mobile banking to Buy Now/Pay Later, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency.
TRC Insights is a U.S. market research firm that helps FinTech, payments, and digital banking companies make confident product, pricing, and go-to-market decisions using primary consumer research. We design and field quantitative and qualitative studies – including conjoint analysis, Two-Dimensional MaxDiff, market segmentation, pricing research, and concept testing – for clients ranging from global payment platforms to emerging FinTech apps.
Our FinTech research has been featured in Harvard Business Review, we field proprietary consumer studies on digital payment behavior, and our data-handling practices are HITRUST CSF Certified and SOC 2 audited.
FinTech is no longer a category adjacent to banking
It is how consumers store, move, borrow, and spend money. BNPL, digital wallets, P2P payments, embedded finance, and AI-driven financial tools have blurred the lines between banks, payment networks, and technology companies.
For FinTech brands, the hard questions are the same ones TRC has answered for decades: Which features matter most? What will consumers pay? Who adopts first, and why?
TRC's Proprietary Research
How U.S. Consumers React to Credit Card Surcharges
Credit card surcharges of 2–5% have spread rapidly across U.S. retail, restaurants, and services. In November 2025, TRC Insights fielded a proprietary online survey of 961 U.S. consumers to measure awareness, attitudes, and behavior change around these fees – data TRC uses both for published insights and to build digital twins for future client research.
Key findings include:
- 38% of consumers noticed a credit card surcharge on a purchase in the past three months
- Men were more likely to notice the fee than women (44% vs. 33%)
- Adults 25–34 showed the highest awareness at 49%, pointing to a significant generational gap
Read the full analysis in “Credit Card Surcharges Are Here to Stay” and the series opener “That New and Annoying 3% Credit Card Surcharge,” by Ted Benzing, Vice President, Sales at TRC Insights.
TRC 2025 Consumer Surcharge Report
Request full report with full crosstabs and generational breakdowns
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FinTech Research Methods and Sectors We Cover
TRC matches method to business question. For FinTech clients, our most frequently used approaches are:
- Conjoint analysis – pricing structures, fee tolerance, and feature/price trade-offs
- MaxDiff and Two-Dimensional Max-Diff (2DMD™) – feature and roadmap prioritization
- Market segmentation – identifying adopter profiles across generations and financial behaviors
- Pricing research – surcharge tolerance, subscription tiers, interchange-fee pass-through
- Concept testing and new product research – from backend financial software to consumer payment apps
- Online communities and qualitative research – understanding financial language, trust, and mental models
Sectors we research:
digital payments and wallets, BNPL, neobanks and digital banking, P2P payments, personal finance and investing apps, embedded finance, financial software, and credit products.
FinTech Research Featured in Harvard Business Review
A multi-country TRC study for PayPal – surveying thousands of consumers across North America, Europe, and Australia on Buy Now, Pay Later adoption – was featured in Harvard Business Review as a case example that directly shaped PayPal’s global BNPL expansion strategy.
The study was led by Kevin Dona, Executive Vice President at TRC Insights, who brings 30+ years of innovation research experience from ACNielsen BASES and Ipsos.
FinTech Case Studies
TRC has helped established payment platforms prioritize their R&D roadmaps using Two-Dimensional Max-Diff and helped digital wallet providers identify the consumer segments with the greatest growth potential.
Built for FinTech Compliance Requirements
HITRUST CSF Certified and SOC 2 Audited
FinTech and financial services procurement teams routinely require SOC 2 reports and security certifications during vendor onboarding.
TRC Insights holds HITRUST CSF Certification (validated by an authorized third-party assessor) and undergoes an annual SOC 2 examination by an independent CPA firm covering security, availability, and confidentiality. Our SOC 2 report and HITRUST certification letter satisfy the majority of vendor-risk questionnaires on first request.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is FinTech market research?
FinTech market research is primary research — surveys, qualitative interviews, and advanced quantitative methods like conjoint analysis — conducted to understand how consumers and businesses adopt, use, and pay for financial technology products such as digital payments, BNPL, digital banking, and personal finance apps. It answers questions about feature prioritization, pricing and fee tolerance, market segmentation, and adoption barriers.
Q2. What research methods does TRC use for FinTech studies?
TRC’s most common FinTech methodologies are conjoint analysis for pricing and feature/price trade-offs, MaxDiff and Two-Dimensional Max-Diff (2DMD™) for roadmap prioritization, market segmentation, pricing research, concept testing, and online research communities. Method selection is driven by the business decision at stake, not a one-size-fits-all template.
Q3. Does TRC have proprietary FinTech consumer data?
Yes. In November 2025 TRC fielded a proprietary survey of 961 U.S. consumers on credit card surcharge awareness and digital payment behavior. TRC uses this data for published insights and to build digital twins for future client research. Highlights are published on the TRC blog; the full report is available on request / for download.
Q4. Has TRC’s FinTech research been published?
Yes. A multi-country TRC study for PayPal on Buy Now, Pay Later adoption was featured in Harvard Business Review and directly informed PayPal’s global BNPL expansion strategy.
Q5. Does TRC meet the data security requirements of financial services clients?
Yes. TRC Insights holds HITRUST CSF Certification and undergoes an annual SOC 2 examination by an independent CPA firm. FinTech and financial services procurement teams can request TRC’s SOC 2 report (under NDA) and HITRUST certification letter through their account team.
Q6. Who leads FinTech research at TRC Insights?
TRC’s FinTech work is led by senior researchers including Kevin Dona, Executive Vice President, whose PayPal BNPL study was featured in Harvard Business Review, and Ted Benzing, Vice President, who authors TRC’s ongoing consumer surcharge research series.
Talk to a FinTech Research Expert
Tell us the decision you’re trying to make – feature prioritization, pricing, segmentation, or market entry – and we’ll recommend the right approach. [Or contact Ted Benzing or Kevin Dona directly.]
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