How can merchants unlock cross-border e-commerce in Europe?

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As global trade becomes increasingly unpredictable, European consumers are turning to cross-border e-commerce in record numbers, but not in the same way, or for the same reasons.

While the European Union offers a harmonised trade environment on paper, its digital commerce landscape tells a different story. 

Some nations are dominated by strong local champions, while others lean heavily on international giants. 

The result is a fragmented yet fascinating mosaic of behaviours, platforms and payment expectations.

For merchants aiming to scale across Europe, this diversity presents both a challenge and an opportunity. 

The key to unlocking it lies not only in logistics or language, but in payment.

This article looks at the diverse cross-border e-commerce landscape in Europe and the critical role of localised payment. As global and local platforms compete, offering trusted payment experiences has become a key advantage. Silkpay helps merchants overcome payment barriers and grow across borders with ease.

What is cross-border share, and why it matters?

Cross-border share refers to the portion of a country’s e-commerce revenue that originates from international retailers. 

For example, Germany, France, and the Netherlands maintain lower cross-border shares, thanks to strong local platforms like Zalando, Bol, and Carrefour. Meanwhile, countries like Spain, Lithuania, and Croatia have shares exceeding 75%, often due to the dominance of global platforms like Amazon and Temu and the lack of strong local alternatives.

Interestingly, some regional outliers buck the trend. 

Poland, Romania, and Greece have relatively low cross-border shares, not because of reduced global appetite, but due to the strength of domestic players like Allegro, and the delayed market entry of Amazon in some cases.

These dynamics highlight one clear challenge: Europe is not a single market in practice when it comes to e-commerce, and this is especially evident in how people pay.

The payment problem in cross-border e-commerce

For businesses entering or expanding across Europe, payments are not just a backend function, they are a frontline user experience. Preferences range widely:

In Germany, direct bank transfers and invoice-based payment are popular.

In France, card payments and mobile wallets are dominant.

In Eastern Europe, cash on delivery still persists in certain markets.

Language, currency, local tax compliance, fraud prevention, and mobile compatibility all add complexity. Without a localised payment solution, many merchants struggle with poor checkout conversion, high drop-off rates, or regulatory risk.

This is where Silkpay comes in.

Silkpay's cross-border payment solutions

Silkpay is designed to simplify and localise payment for cross-border success. 

Whether you’re a global brand or a niche retailer expanding across borders, we offer one platform that unlocks many markets.

Online payment solutions

Integration options: Easy API integration, plug-ins for PrestaShop et WooCommerce and even PaybyLink.

Mobile wallets: Accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and Alipay+ (covering 16+ e-wallets from Asia).

Removing barriers through localisation

Multilingual interface support: English, French, Chinese. We ensure a smooth user experience for both merchants and customers.

Regulatory alignment: Fully compliant with EU standards, with robust fraud prevention and data protection measures built-in.

Centralised control: A one step back-office dashboard lets you manage multiple stores and channels with real-time insights, from anywhere, at any time.

Fast onboarding: Get your business account up and running as quickly as possible.

With Silkpay, localisation is not an extra step. It's built into every part of the payment journey.

Proven impact in key European markets

Silkpay is already trusted by merchants across major European countries, with a strong presence in France, Spain, Italy and other growing markets. 

Our technology powers payment solutions for both global luxury brands and everyday retailers, adapting to diverse business needs and customer expectations.

We support well-known names such as LANVIN, a symbol of French elegance, along with a growing list of trusted partners including Florêve, a premium beauty brand; 37Express, a retail logistics and convenience network; pharmacies, airports, supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, hotels and more.

Whether it’s a high-end boutique or a neighborhood grocery store, Silkpay enables each business to offer secure and localised payment experiences that build trust and boost conversion.

With every new partnership, we continue to demonstrate how effective payment infrastructure can help businesses scale across borders without losing their local touch.

The future of cross-border payment

In today’s competitive landscape, cross-border expansion is no longer only a matter of logistics or supply chain management. It is about creating a localised, intuitive, and trusted experience at every touchpoint, especially at checkout.

Payment is where the customer makes the final decision. 

A culturally relevant payment experience can be the difference between a completed sale and a lost opportunity. 

It is also a key way for brands to differentiate themselves from global giants by offering flexibility, familiarity, and trust.

Silkpay empowers brands to transform cross-border friction into growth. 

By localising payment methods, ensuring regulatory compliance, and offering fast integration, we help merchants scale confidently and connect authentically with customers across Europe and beyond.

Conclusion

As cross-border e-commerce continues to reshape the European retail landscape, one truth becomes clear: 

Success depends not only on reaching new markets, but on understanding and adapting to them.

Silkpay offers more than just a payment solution. 

We provide the multiple payment solutions, local insight, and flexibility that global businesses need to thrive across borders. 

With our fully localised, secure, and scalable payment system, brands can meet customers where they are, in language, in method, and in experience.

Whether you are just entering Europe or scaling across multiple countries, Silkpay is your trusted partner for building seamless, localised, and future-ready payment experiences.

Let us help you turn cross-border complexity into opportunity.

About the author: Silkpay

Based in Paris, Silkpay provides omnichannel and secure payment solutions to help physical stores and e-commerce in Europe and the Americas accept more than 30 of the world's most popular payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, CB, UnionPay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay as well as Asia-Pacific’s major e-wallets.

Silkpay is a winner of the LVMH Innovation Award. The company was also selected as a finalist for the "Money 20/20" Best Startup and in the "MPE Berlin” Startup Awards. Silkpay also won the "Best Fintech" awards from Capgemini and BPCE.

Silkpay helps merchants deliver the smoothest payment experience to their customers. We are a talented and international team driven by a single goal: to improve the customer experience and make payments simple and secure.