In the latest episode of “Behind the Numbers,” forecasters Showmik Podder and Chris Bendtsen break out data from eMarketer’s new estimates for mobile payments usage. How many people around the world use mobile phones to make payments? Where are mobile payments the most common? Why would anyone want to pay via phone, anyway?

This year, 55.0 million people in the US will use mobile payments, making up 20.2% of the population, according to eMarketer estimates.

The cash culture in Germany is holding back mobile payment adoption in the country. Many people are comfortable paying with cash and don’t see any significant benefits to changing their habits, especially older generations.

In China, mobile payments have made large inroads thanks to rapid smartphone adoption and the absence of alternative payment methods.

Three regional executives from eBay, OLX and PayPal discuss ecommerce trends in the region and how their companies found early success in the market.

When given the choice between a paper or electronic receipt in a store, most shoppers aren’t interested in going paperless.