New research from Early Warning, the operator of Paze®, finds coffee drinkers will go out of their way for the perfect cup – but new accounts, password resets and card hunts can make them think twice at online checkout.

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A long line can feel worthwhile when the perfect cup of coffee is waiting at the end. An extra form, forgotten password or search for a physical card at online checkout? Not so much.

New research released ahead of National Coffee Day in connection with Paze, the online checkout solution from the same company behind Zelle®, suggests consumers will make an effort for what they value, but have low tolerance for friction that hampers the experience.

“Consumers aren’t impatient. They’re just out of patience for pointless work,” said Serge Elkiner, general manager of Paze. “They’ll go out of their way for the coffee they want, but they don’t want to create another account or manually enter their card information just to complete an online purchase. Checkout shouldn’t make people start over.” 

For the Love of the Latte

For many consumers, getting their preferred coffee is worth going out of the way. The Paze Coffee Survey cites:

• More than half (51%) would take a longer route or make an extra stop for the coffee they want.
• Thirty-nine percent would pay more than usual to get it
• Nearly a third (31%) would wait in a 15-minute line.

The findings suggest that consumers have not lost their willingness to make an effort. They simply expect the effort to lead to something they value.

Checkout Shouldn’t Be a Grind

Once consumers have decided to buy, their tolerance for extra work cools quickly.

• Too many checkout steps were the most frequently cited reason for reconsidering or abandoning an online purchase (34%).
• Being required to create an account followed closely behind (30%).
• Twenty-seven percent of consumers pointed to having to reset a password.

Other familiar frustrations can also bring a purchase to a halt: 25% cited forgetting a password, 22% cited having to enter card information and 21% cited having to find their physical card.

Online checkout should be simple. Instead, consumers can find themselves juggling passwords, re-entering card numbers and worrying that their card information is scattered across the internet.
Consumers will work for something they want. They are far less enthusiastic about work created by the process of paying for it.

No New Account. No Card Hunt.

Among surveyed digital wallet users, 70% say they use a digital wallet for online shopping.

Paze is designed to make the final step simpler. Offered through participating banks and credit unions, Paze allows consumers to use eligible credit and debit cards from financial institutions they already know and use – without creating another payment account or manually entering their card information.

Because actual card numbers are not shared with merchants during transactions, Paze provides a streamlined checkout experience with added security.

Instead of asking consumers to start over at checkout, Paze is designed to help them finish.

More Grounds for Conversation

Beyond checkout, coffee drinkers had plenty to say about what’s in their cup—and everyone else’s.

• Coffee Crushes the Caffeine Competition: When tired and looking for a boost, 70% prefer coffee, far ahead of energy drinks (10%), soda (7%) and tea alternatives.
• Men Aren’t Making More Matcha: Only 1% of men would choose matcha as their caffeinated drink of choice, compared with 5% of women.
• Complicated Orders Get the Side-Eye: Thirty percent say they are most likely to judge someone for having an overly complicated coffee order.

Bottom Line

For coffee drinkers, the daily grind should be getting through the day, not getting through checkout.

About the Paze Coffee Survey

The Paze survey included 500 U.S. coffee drinkers who use digital wallets. The survey was conducted in August 2026. Participants were compensated for their time.

About Paze^®
Paze is a reimagined online checkout solution that banks and credit unions offer consumers and participating merchants, combining eligible U.S. credit and debit cards into a single wallet and eliminating manual card entry. Designed to help solve long-standing challenges in e-commerce, Paze delivers a streamlined experience for both consumers and businesses. More than 220 million credit and debit cards have been added to the Paze checkout solution. To learn more, visit www.paze.com.

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SOURCE Early Warning Services, LLC