Analysis of 52.5 Million Transactions Shows Shoppers Making More Frequent, Smaller Purchases
ITASCA, Ill., Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Black Friday 2025 saw a striking shift in consumer behavior, with shoppers making significantly more transactions but spending less per purchase, according to data released today by Accertify, Inc., a leading unified risk decisioning platform provider.
Analysis of over 52.5 million transactions shows that while online shopping volume surged 24% year-over-year, the average transaction value fell 17% to $115.46, the lowest level since 2021. The data suggests a fundamental change in how consumers approach holiday shopping: more frequent, smaller purchases rather than big-ticket commitments.
"Consumers seem to be reinventing Black Friday," said Mark Michelon, President of Accertify. "We’re seeing shoppers spread their dollars across more transactions rather than making large single purchases. Whether that reflects economic caution, the influence of buy-now-pay-later options, or simply how mobile shopping encourages impulse buying, it represents a meaningful shift in consumer psychology."
The trend was especially pronounced in retail, where transactions grew 11.4% to 27 million while the average purchase amount dropped 7%. Total retail dollars reached $3.73 billion, up 3.6% from 2024, but the growth came from volume rather than larger purchases.
Black Friday 2025 by the Numbers
Accertify processed $6.06 billion in transactions on Black Friday, a 3% increase over 2024 and the first time the company has exceeded $6 billion in a single day. Transaction volume reached 52.5 million, up from 42.3 million in 2024. Peak activity occurred during the 11 a.m. Central hour, when the company processed 3.27 million transactions and $392 million in transaction value.
Other industry sectors showed varied patterns:
Airlines: Transactions increased 19% to 2.16 million and dollars rose 18% to $931 million, with average transaction values holding essentially flat year-over-year.
Travel and Entertainment: Transaction volume remained flat while total transaction dollars increased 13.5% year-over-year, pushing average transaction value up 13.2% year-over-year to $302.66.
AI Enables Merchants to Handle the Surge
The shift toward higher transaction volumes creates new challenges for merchants managing fraud risk. Accertify’s clients saw a median approval rate of 99.25%, up from 98.93% in 2024, relying on Accertify’s AI and machine learning models to automate risk decisioning, accommodating the 24% increase in volume.
"More transactions means more complexity for fraud teams," said Michelon. "Machine learning is what allows merchants to keep pace with changing consumer behavior without sacrificing approval rates, or letting fraud slip through, or degrading the consumer experience."
*Statistics in this release are derived from Accertify client data from Black Friday 2021-2025.
About Accertify
Accertify, Inc., is a leading unified risk decisioning platform provider, spanning fraud prevention, chargeback management, account protection, abuse prevention, and payment gateway solutions to clients spanning diverse industries worldwide. Accertify’s suite of products and services protects digital commerce, helping clients grow their business by driving down fraud-related losses, simplifying business processes, all while upholding the consumer experience. To learn more about Accertify, visit www.accertify.com.
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